All Consuming
by redwoodoriginal
Summary: After everything, the experiments, the tests. After 46 days of torturous confinement, the escape brings Sylvia's new abilities to light. Now with training from her father, she will make a name for herself in the world of heroes and villains. When she joins the Team as Wildcat, secrets will surface as the past catches up with her. OCxxWally Disclaimer: I don't own YJ
1. Origins

**March 4th, 2008**

 **Central City**

The room was freezing with frost on the walls, producing goosebumps all over my arms and legs. I could hear the sound of water dripping somewhere in the area, echoing off the walls as it melted. As I gained more and more focus, the more I realized how wrong everything felt. My hands and feet were bound and I wasn't the only one here. I looked around and there were nine other girls aside from me. We all were different in features, but we were all dressed in sports bras and spandex, like they took us from different athletic activities. Each and every one of us were waking up, some just examining the situation like I was, others screaming or crying. The girl next to me looked exactly my age, they all did.

"I'm Tori. What's your name?" The Blonde girl next to me inquired, most likely hoping to distract herself from what was really going on. I tried to think, not able to find even my own name in the storm cloud consuming my mind.

"I don't know." I told her, my voice shaking as I stood up to get a better look around the room. The bindings on my feet were just high enough on my ankles that I could push them down to make them loose, allowing for a weak but useful waddle. I found a broken mirror on the floor further away from the girls. When I picked up one of the larger shards, I saw myself. Like some of the other girls, I had a black eye and a swollen cheek, my lip was split and still swelling on the same side. But the swelling in my eye must have been going down because I could see both of my emerald green colored eyes. Something else odd was that my long black hair had frost from the roots to the ends, coated in pieces of ice and snow.

"What are you doing up?" I heard a chilling voice as someone came up behind me and shoved me back to my spot. The second I hit the ground, ice cracked and a chilled pain shot through my freezing limbs. It seemed they wanted us in a line, all ten of the girls in some sort of order. Other girls were screaming and crying even more now that our captors had shown their faces.

"Now, you will all have to hold still as you come back with me for a little _surprise_." The woman with distinct blue hair instructed. I recognized her and two men, one with his massive refrigeration suit and the other wearing a blue winter jacket and a ski goggles. They turned to face me and I saw the glare from their collective ice cold eyes, confirming the fear in the back of my mind. "And _you,_ will be going _first_." Killer Frost cut my bindings and grabbed me by my hair, pulling me, kicking and screaming, out of the frozen room.

"Like hell I'm going anywhere!" I screamed, attacking Mister Freeze. I managed to stand up and punch the dome on his suit hard enough to crack it, trying to get away. My hand and wrist were crushed but I was free for the moment. But, Captain Cold blasted me in the back with ice, rendering me from being able to stop myself from crashing to the linoleum floor.

"Sorry, but we were given a deal we can't refuse. You are gonna have to just suck it up and be a good little girl." Mister Freeze kneeled down to my level, grabbing my chin as Frost grabbed one of my ankles and dragged me behind her.

"Please! Just let me go!" I cried, fighting her grip but I was just a weak thirteen year old girl. I couldn't do anything as they closed the door to the freezer prison and dragged me down the hallway.

"Fat chance, girly. Like Frost said, you have a surprise waiting for you." Mister Freeze smirked as I clawed at the floor, flailing and reaching for anything, but nothing was working. They pulled me into a room with all kinds of machinery and equipment that make my heart fall. Freeze grabbed me off the floor and threw me onto a metal table while Frost strapped down my hands and feet. I heard the door open, Mister Freeze, Captain Cold and Killer Frost backing away as a strange team of scientists entered, speaking in a language I couldn't understand. But one looked to the three ice villains and said something in english.

"Thank you, if the other specimens are anything like this one, our employer will hold up their end of the contract." One of the scientists said from behind their surgical masks. I was shaking with fear, the hyperventilation slowly taking hold as the scientist began running tests.

"What are you going to do?!" I half screamed as a tray of surgical tools was brought up to my table and another scientist began hooking me up to all sorts of monitors. I was shaking in my skin as I instinctively fought against the restraints.

"You have shown signs of genetic potential, we want to activate your inactive potential and study it." The scientist briefly but vaguely explained with his deep english accent. He stuck me with a needle and hooked me up to an IV as I struggled to fight the fusion of chemicals. Tears fell from my eyes as I slipped under, afraid of what was coming next.

* * *

It felt like an eternity of a hazy memories of pain and desperation. There were different procedures conducted all over my body to procure all kinds of samples. The two I remembered the most were the extractions of spinal fluid and bone marrow. The needles were absolutely the most painful things I had ever experienced. None of their experiments seemed to be working and I was losing hope from being pushed to my limits.

The surgeons did craniotomies that included a consciousness factor to test brain functions. I even remember them opening up my throat to run their tests on my vocal chords. There were surgeries that used an epidural instead of a sedative, so I could smell my burning flesh as they cauterized different incisions and punctures inflicted on my organs. When the sedatives were too weak, I felt their hands inside of my body cavity. Everything drove me towards insanity, no food or water, just fluids flowing into my arm from the IV. No one was coming for me.

* * *

The sedatives were wearing off completely and I felt weightless, but that was when I realized I was in a box, completely filled with water. There was an oxygen mask on my face as I fought against the restrains on my hands and feet, but they were looser than before, like I was tethered to the back wall of the box. I looked out past the glass and it was completely dark until the door opened and the lights switched on, I realized I was upside down as a single scientist coming through the door with a tablet, documenting my vitals.

Out of nowhere, the scientist turned a dial as three more scientist entered. There was a hum in the water and a moment where I realized exactly what was going to happen. I felt it all at once, electricity running all over my body as it flowed through the water. I tried extremely hard to bite back my screaming, but the convulsions threw off the oxygen mask. The scientists outside did nothing as water flooded into my lungs as I screamed, losing all of the air as I was forced to breathe. I was screaming at the top of my lungs, the pitch growing higher and higher in my ears as the thick acrylic glass began to crack, the water rippling and trembling around me. My hands and feet broke free from the chains as I struggled. As I flailed and clawed at the glass, it began to crack as my nails somehow left harsh scratches in the materials. The glass shattered and I came crashing out of the container as the water gushed out. I felt the glass shards sticking in my skin as I coughed up the water.

"Her potential has been activated, contact the employer." The british scientist ordered another. The third moved towards me with a sedation needle but I refused to be put down once again. An angry shriek ripped from my lungs as I lept at the nearest scientist, instinctively swiping at his neck. One of the others tried to stop me but I slashed my hands at his eyes, forcing his to cry out in pain as blood poured from the fresh lacerations on his face. The third one made the stupid mistake of trying to call for help, but I jammed my hand into his mouth and yanked, biting into his neck at just the right angle to sever his vocal chords.

I sprinted through the facility, trying to find the other girls. Each lab like the one I was in contained one girl after another, either dead or dying, even Tori. I couldn't carry all of them, so I pulled the fire alarm, hoping it would alert the authorities, but it alerted my captors as well. The three ice villains found me and chased me as I tried to find a way out. For some reason, I was actually able to dodge their blasts of ice without even looking back at them. Like I knew when and where the attacks were coming.

"Just get the little brat already!" Killer Frost shouted, aggravated that all three of them were missing me. I just somehow flipped off walls and swung on random pipes on the ceiling to propel myself forward, faster and faster without faltering.

"Give up, kid! You're not getting out of here!" Captain Cold bellowed as he shot ice at me. But the second he did so, I found my exit. I slipped out of a service entrance, hoping to find myself in an alley or a street. Where I ended up was just as useful, a sewer. I found the nearest manhole and pulled myself through, still running from the Ice Villains. Tears began to streak from my eyes as I felt the sun on my skin after my extended entrapment underground.

"Help!" I screamed, hoping to draw attention. If anything, the fact that I was running around in a sports bra and what I couldn't tell were spandex or just hip hugger underwear. "Someone body help me!" I shrieked as the Ice Villains surfaced, chasing me down the street. Pedestrians began running and screaming as the villains resumed their attacks. They finally began working together, sharp shards of ice clipping my skin with freezing cold slices. But, I managed to leap high up a wall and vault backwards onto Mister Freeze's suit, smashing right through the dome encasing his head. He acted quickly, freezing himself to stay alive. All I had left was Killer Frost and Captain Cold. I tried to maneuver out of the way of one of the attacks, but I was too slow, an ice pick lodging itself in between two of my ribs while a blast hit me square in the chest, sending me back into the wall. There were loud cracks and I was on the ground. I wanted to fight back, but the energy necessary to do so was fading fast as it was replaced with pain.

"Aw, poor baby, can't keep up anymore?" Killer Frost mocked me as she and Captain Cold closed in on me. In a flash of yellow and red, the two of them were on the ground. When the two colors materialized, I recognized the red one immediately as the Flash. The one in yellow must be new, seeming about my age, but I had never heard of him.

"Are you alright?" The Flash asked and I shook my head. I quickly remembered how I got here specifically.

"I-I was in a la-lab. That way down the street." I pointed in the general direction for him. "Two manholes, then go into the sewer and keep heading in the same direction until you find a service entrance. Some of the girls are already de-dead but a few are just hanging on by a thread." I blurted it all out as my vision was growing darker around the edges. It was getting harder and harder to breath as I hyperventilated.

"I'll go. Kid, she isn't lookin' too hot, get her to the hospital and stay with her. It's important that she's protected." Flash rushed his speech as I began slipping away.

"Got it, protect the girl." The boy clad in yellow and red said before scooping me up in his underdeveloped arms. Considering that a scrawny boy like him could carry me, I must be extremely underweight. But that worry slipped from my mind as my vision completely disappeared, only a single string of words echoing in my ears. "Just hold on, we're almost there."

* * *

"She should wake up any minute now." A voice said as I started to panic, thinking my escape was a dream. What was making this worse was the continuous beeping from what I recognized as a heart monitor and the tight feeling on my wrists and ankles. I opened my eyes, looking around the room, realizing I was in restraints in a hospital bed. The monitor began to go crazy as the hyperventilation began taking over. I struggled to breath as I pulled on the restraints, somehow managing to break free, the restraints weighing down my wrists.

"Woah, hey, just breath. You're in a hospital and you're safe." Someone said as they began undoing the restraints from my wrists. I calmed down and let my eyes adjust, recognizing where I was and who was around me.

"Sir, that patient is threat to the medical staff! You cannot just remove the restraints without consent!" I heard a female nurse snap at whom I recognized as the one who brought me here. His mentor was in the corner, watching out past the door like he was waiting for someone.

"With all do respect, the restraints are doing more harm than good." The boy snapped at the nurse. She pursed her lips, checking my vitals on the monitor. I kicked off the blanket and hugged my knees, only then noticing that my arms and legs were bandaged with gauze to cover the sutured areas from where the glass was embedded in my skin and the shards of ice sliced through. I glanced at the door and noticed a police officer enter the room with a recorder and a note pad. I noticed Flash in the corner, talking to someone in black, but I could make out anything but a gloved hand that occasionally made it through the door where I could see it.

"For confirmation, are you Sylvia Wayne, aged thirteen?" The police officer questioned, ready to write on his note pad. The fog in my mind forced panic to well up inside me once again.

"I don't know." The three little words slipped out of my mouth as the officer runs through the rest of his note pad, most likely to review his questions.

"Do you remember where you were taken from?" He asked, but I just looked down, rubbing the gauze on my legs. I felt a hand on my back, trying to comfort me but I just tensed up, the feeling of touch completely revolting to me.

"All I remember is waking up in a freezer locker with nine other girls." The words were bitter in my mouth and the looks I was receiving were making everything much worse. They all pitied me for what I went through.

"What can to tell us about who abducted you and the other girls?" The question struck a chord with me, but I fought the urge to lash out.

"Killer Frost, Mister Freeze and Captain Cold had us. I-I learned that they were in a co-contract with a group of scientists and their employers. Bu-but that's all I know." I lied on impulse. I wasn't going to let some police officer turn me into the government for more painful experiments. I wasn't going to let them deem me a freak on the record. I tore through those scientists like it was nothing.

"You don't know why the scientists had you?" He pushed the question but my look hardened into a glare.

"No." I whispered, shaking my head as I continued to rub the gauze wrapped around my legs.

"I think that's enough for the time being." Flash said, touching the shoulder of the police officer. Without a word, he simply stood up and left. "Kid, I think you should go down to the cafeteria, refuel." The Scarlet Speedster ordered.

"But I ha-" His protege protested, but Flash was giving him a glaring look. The boy just left and I was alone with the Justice Leaguer. But someone entered with a small boy in a hero uniform trailing at his cape.

"This is Batman. He has a few questions of his own for you." Flash introduced the man in the black bat suit. There was something familiar about him, but the fog was relentless in hiding my memories. He was absolutely intimidating, striking fear, but nothing he could do would ever be worse that what I've already gone through.

"We have much to discuss, starting with why you just lied to the police officer about what happened to you." The Dark Knight spoke in a deep, gruff voice that had the potential to insinuate fear, or command an army. It wasn't necessarily what I wanted to hear. The feeling of talking about… _it…_ was so upsetting that I could feel the nausea rising in my stomach. But, there was some things I needed to know.

"I will give you information if you answer two questions." I scanned Batman's expression and he didn't seem like he was one for making deals, but I had to know. "How long was I down there?"

"You have been missing, on the record, for 46 days." He said quickly, like he was just going to rip off the band aid. Somehow, it seemed to be exactly what I needed, the nausea slipping away.

"Next question, who survived?" I just forced out the question, hoping that maybe Tori survived.

"There were scientists missing from outside the room you were found in. But there were only five survivors. Two of which were the ice villains whom of which escaped during the chaos. The other three are hospitalized here, Rebecca Dawson is catatonic, Katherine Goodwinn is sedated due to major neurosurgery to repair a brain bleed, and Sarah Winston is currently being brought to the ICU after extensive cardiothoracic surgery. You were very lucky to get out with just a few fractured ribs and a number of lacerations." Batman was very thorough in his answer, almost ensuring I couldn't stall a second further but I had to clarify.

"No one named Tori survived?" I referred to the one person I was able to learn the name of while I was down there.

"The coroner determined that her cause of death was from asphyxiation minutes before they found her. The fluid in her lungs prevented her from getting any oxygen." He seemed to be slowing down, nearly sympathetic to my predicament. With a sigh, I decided to explain, but not how he expected.

"I don't want to talk about the things that went on in that place, but the goal was to trigger what they called our _inactive potential_ , something in our genomes." I began, taking a breath as I avoided the thoughts of insanity I developed in that frozen hell hole.

"What do you mean by inactive potential?" The little one asked. He wore a red vest embellished with an 'R' over a fitted black t-shirt. He had a gold utility belt matching that of Batman, and a short black cape with a yellow underside. The black gloves, leggings and boots all matched the cape perfectly.

"I attacked the scientists in the lab I was contained in." I had to pause for a moment, hearing myself say it outloud. The bat seemed unmoved, but Robin seemed confused. Everything began to pull at my brain all at once, and the tears just fell from my eyes. "I didn't mean to kill them if they didn't make it. I just wanted it to stop, so the instinct took over and I..."

"Flash why don't you take Robin to talk to Kid, inform him that the League will handling the situation, but be discreet." Batman looked back to the Scarlet Speedster and he disappeared with the raven haired boy, looking for his protege. He closed the door after them and came closer. "I only need you to explain how you were able to escape." The word seemed to just pour out of my mouth.

"They had me in a tank. I was upside down with an oxygen mask while they were electrocuting me. I just started screaming and fighting, somehow breaking my restraints and shattering the glass. I fell out and when they tried to sedate me…." I paused, looking down at my bony hands, realizing something. Just one thought and my nails extended into one inch long, black claws. "I don't know how I knew what to do, but I slashed one's throat, clawed another's eyes and… I'm not proud of this but the last one tried to call for help, so I sort of severed his vocal chord." I left out the detail about snapping the man's jaw before biting into his neck. Batman looked at me with a sort of sadness that I didn't expect. The man pulled back his cowl, revealing his face. His near black eyes began to soften despite the harsh facial features. The fog in my mind began disappearing.

"You figured out I was Batman the night you disappeared. You were angry that I kept it from you, so you went to your soccer game without a word. When you didn't come home, I never stopped looking." As he spoke, I started remembering things. Like Gotham, the Manor, my school, Alfred, everything. It was all flooding my mind as the storm inside qualmed.

"I'm sorry I left." I started crying, lunging to hug him, my father. Everything I held in, the pain, the misery, the emptiness, everything, just surged as I cried. I could feel my bones under my skin as he held me tightly. The pressure burning on my ribs and the sutures all over my body, but I didn't care. This was the safest I've felt since I woke up in that freezer.


	2. Independence Day P1

**Sylvia Wayne "Lynx"**

 **Gotham City**

 **July 4th, 2010**

"Enjoying family time?" Mister Freeze asked as he aimed his cold gun at his next victims. The second he pulled the trigger, the family tried to run, but the last thing I saw was the glassy eyes of the little boy trapped in the ice. "My family has other plans." Freeze was on a roll with his monologue as he always is. Robin and I give Batman a single look, confirming the unspoken plan as the two of us snake around the trees and shrubbery of the park to get in place. Just before freeze fires the cold gun once again, Robin flings a batarang at the barrel, hard enough to knock it out of aim and distract Freeze. "Batman. I was wondering when-" But he was cut off by Robin's signature laughter, completely aiming and looking in the wrong direction. I couldn't help but smirk at the stupidity. Robin and I bolted into action, the two of us leaping high into the air, but staggered by a few seconds. He landed on the dome of Freeze's suit first, knocking the villain into the ground as I sailed through the air, claws first. The impact of my claws against the dome cause fissures all over the thick glass.

"Oh. Both Boy and Girl Wonders." Mister Freeze was grimacing at us as he stood up from the ground with the cold gun. "The Bat sent you to drag me off to prison? Frankly, I'm underwhelmed." Freeze said as Robin and I recieved a look from Batman, confirming he was in position. I put my hands on my hips, feeling the black body suit that clung to my skin. Freeze's look fell to my chest, probably to get a look at the emblem I gained, three golden slash marks, like cat claws.

"Great, but we're kind of in a hurry here." Robin lost his smile as Batman was waiting for the right moment.

"Kids, always in such a rush." Freeze aimed the cold gun at the two of us as I began tapping my foot impatiently with my hands on my hips, glaring at him through the domino mask on my face.

"Not talking to you." I said through my teeth as the gun was resetting. Freeze turned around just enough to see Batman sailing high through the air, just barely blocking the sun before falling right over him, smashing the dome with one punch. It felt good to see him panic and freeze himself to survive.

* * *

 **Washington D.C**

"Today is the day." Batman said quietly to Robin and I with a brief hand on each of our shoulders. We were all standing before the Hall of Justice with our mentors. Green Arrow and Speedy, Aquaman and Aqualad, Batman, Robin and I. The only two missing were the Speedsters from Central City.

"Welcome to the Hall of Justice." Green Arrow welcomed the three of us that were present.

"Headquarters of the Justice League." Aquaman seemed to be adding to the fact that today was step on of joining the League. I heard two sets of footsteps come up behind us in a rush, a smirk growing on my face as I turned around before everyone else.

"Oh, man!" Kid Flash exclaimed as he saw all of us. "I knew we'd be the last ones here." He crossed his arms as his angered green eyes met mine. I made a face at him and he returned the gesture as he stood next to me instead of Rob seeing as I was on the end. The group walked together, approaching the hall. We all ignored the fans and press, keeping relaxed faces as we passed the public. Our Mentors slowed down and began walking behind the five of us.

"I'm glad we're all here." Aqualad smiled, looking around as we walked.

"Have all five sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?" Kid Flash questioned with excitement, building my own as well. This was day one of playing in the big leagues.

" _Don't_ call us sidekicks, not after today." Speedy snapped at him, but I shot him a look, forcing him to look away. It seems I've inherited my father's glare, and it's helpful in all sorts of situations.

"Sorry, first time at the hall, I'm a little overwhelmed." Kid Flash couldn't help but keep smiling. Sometimes I worry that he's hiding something, but there's a massive chance he's just that happy all the time.

"You're overwhelmed, freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" Robin asked, his quirk of playing with words pulling my attention.

"Rob, just let it go an enjoy the moment." I flashed a grin, elbowing my little brother in the side. He returned the smile, but it faded as he looked up at the massive bronze statues of the founding Justice League Members.

"Oh, maybe that's why." He was sharing the overwhelming feeling with the rest of us, seeing our mentors immortalized like that as we approached the door to enter the inner sanctum. It opened with Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado greeting us from the other side.

"Robin, Wildcat, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, welcome." Martian Manhunter spoke as he turned back, all of us following him through the metal hallway. "You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked Galley, and of course our library." He led the way into the massive library. The walls were lined with books, but I still preferred the library back at the Manor.

"Make yourselves at home." The Flash welcomed casualty with a smile. Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash seized the three of the nearest chairs without a problem, leaving Speedy and I to stand.

"You can sit on my lap, Kit-Kat." KF offered me, patting his thighs, but I just laughed at him.

"In your dreams, _Flash Jr._ " I laughed as I sat on the arm of Robin's chair, the name forcing him to groan. He's still irritated that he's been around for just about two years and no one really knows his name, not even in Central City. But at least people aren't confusing him with a retired hero that gave him permission to use his mantle. I had issues in the field with that.

"We shouldn't be long." I heard Batman say as a module came out of the ceiling and scanned the Leaguers.

 _ **Recognized:**_

 _Batman, 0-2; Aquaman, 0-6; Flash, 0-4; Green Arrow, 0-8; Martian Manhunter, 0-7; Red Tornado, 1-6._

"That's it? You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified Backstage pass." Speedy snapped as our mentors tried to make their exit. I pinched the bridge of my nose, knowing exactly how this next moment was going to go down.

"It's a first step. You've been granted access few others get." Aquaman responded, furrowing his brow as the apprentice archer approached the six of them with his arms crossed, glowering at all of them.

"Oh, really?" He snapped, gesturing to the tourists above. "Who cares which side of the glass we're on?" He was raising his voice, making everyone on edge. Today is supposed to be the day and Speedy couldn't go even a few minutes without causing problems.

"Roy, you just need to be patient." Green Arrow tried to step forward and calm his protege down.

"What I need is respect." The red archer snapped, turning to the rest of us. "They're treating us like kids. Worse… like sidekicks! We deserve better than this." He tried to rally us but the boys just looked at eachother. I sighed and realized I was going to have to handle this one since no one else will.

"You know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a sidekick. _News flash_ , we actually still are kids, so being a sidekick is part of the gig. Don't like it? Keep your mouth shut and go throw your little _bitch fit_ in private." I snapped, completely done with his temper tantrums and angry attitude every time I have to be in the same room with him.

"You're kidding, right? You're playing their game? Why? Today was supposed to be the day, step one in becoming Full-fledged members of The League." Speedy approached me, making an attempt to make me feel small as he looked down upon me. It took everything I had not to give into the instinct to punch him right in the mouth.

"Well, sure, but I thought step one was a tour of the HQ." Kid shrugged as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Except the hall isn't The League's real HQ." Speedy dropped the bomb and everyone was either shocked or angry in the room. "I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching Zeta Beam Teleporter Tubes to the real thing, an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower." This wasn't news for me. I accidentally connected to the satellite's computer from the Batcave a while back and didn't tell anyone.

"I know, I know, but I thought maybe we could make an exception…? Or not." Green Arrow tried to defend his protege, but the sharing of a major League secret was boding well for him either. Batman crossed his arms, not even needing to convey his aggravation and disappointment with words.

"You're not helping your cause here, son. Stand down or-" Aquaman tried to calm the situation, but Speedy was relentless.

"Or what? You'll send me to my room? And I'm not your son! I'm not even his. I thought I was his partner, but not anymore." Speedy disgraced his mentor by removing his yellow hat and throwing it to the ground. Everyone looked in shock at the little display as he walked past us. Guess they're right about you four. You're not ready." He stepped out, crushing the three around me, but I just wanted you yell at him. Batman gave me a look and I immediately kept my mouth shut as an alarm blared and the computer recieved an incoming transition.

"Superman to Justice League. There's been an explosion at project Cadmus. It's on fire." The report came in but none of us knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus. This may present the perfect opportunity to in-" I knew Batman was about to say investigate, but there was another incoming transmission.

"Zatara to Justice League. The sorcerer Wotan is using the amulet of aten to blot out the sun. Requesting full League response." The italian magician seemed on edge, Wotan was not easily out matched, even by someone as accomplished as Zatara.

"Superman?" Batman looked to the former transmission to aid in his decision.

"It's a small fire. Local authorities have it under control." Superman relinquished the information and everything about it seemed to drop.

"Then Cadmus can wait. All leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out." He sent out his own transmission on the League wide radio frequency. "Stay put." He ordered.

"What?" I exclaimed, knowing what today was supposed to mean.

"Why?" Robin was right on my tail with the irritation of being left out when today was supposed to be _the_ day.

"This is a League mission." Aquaman put his hands on his hips, trying to be stern after what just happened with Speedy. I felt a low growl rise in my throat as we were being sidelined.

"You're not trained." Flash decided to add but all four of us were collectively growing angrier by the second.

"Since when?" Kid Flash's voice cracked as he snapped at his own mentor.

"I meant you're not trained to work as part of this team." Flash gestured to Batman and Aquaman. I had half a mind to make a remark about the other Leaguers beside the three of them.

"There will be other missions when you're ready." Aquaman tried to defuse the situation, but they were all just making us sound incapable.

"But for now, stay put." Batman ordered more harshly this time, giving everyone the famous Bat-glare, but I just snorted, giving him the look right back. The second the Leaguers were gone, the conversation about what just happened ensued.

"When we're ready? How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like sidekicks?" Kid Flash raised his voice, his aggravation visible on his face as he threw his arms.

"My mentor, my king, I thought he trusted me." Aqualad stayed composed, he just looked down to the floor.

"Trust? They don't even trust us with the basics! They've got a secret HQ in space!" KF raised his voice again, going all out with his arm motions.

"You gotta let it go. They need to be absolutely sure that all five of us were ready before we were going to learn that." I tried to defend them on keeping secrets, seeing as we aren't apart of the League, therefore we didn't actually have the clearance for that.

"What else aren't they telling us?" Aqualad raised his eyebrows, looking at the rest of us.

"Oh just things like stealth missions and recon." I grumbled under the breath.

"I have a better question." Robin sighed. "Why didn't we leave with Speedy?" With that, everyone looked down, ashamed. But I knew what I stood for. After everything I've been through, you have to know your place or else you get hurt.

"What is project Cadmus?" Aqualad asked after a few moments of empty silence.

"Don't know, but we can find out." Robin and I shared a smirk before the two of us race to the computer, our fingers flying across the control panel.

"Access denied." The computer laughed but just smirked.

"Wanna bet?" I chuckled at the computer, sharing another look with my little brother. The two of us knew exactly what to do as with decoded different packets simultaneously to break into the mainframe.

"Whoa! How are you doing that?" Kid Flash was confused at the speed we were going.

"Same system as the batcave." Robin smiled, giving me a fist bump the second we finished.

"Access granted." The computer finally complied to us, revealing files and an image of Cadmus.

"All right. Project Cadmus. Genetics lab here in D.C. That's all there is, but if Batman's suspicious, maybe we should investigate." Robin's little thought brought the excitement of today back.

"Solve their case before they do. It would be poetic justice." Aqualad was beginning to catch our drift.

"They're all about justice." I remarked, resting my gloved hands on my gold utility belt.

"But they said stay put." The atlantean was having second thought, being so obedient to his king, he must not be used to this kind of thing. It even got to Kid Flash, but Robin and my hearts were set.

"For the blotting out the sun mission, not this." Robin persuaded the two boys.

"Wait. Are you going to Cadmus? Because if you're going, I'm going." Kid Flash put a hand on Rob's shoulder, looking at me. The three of us grew mischievous smiles, looking at Aqualad, hoping he would come along with us.

"Just like that we're a team on a mission?" The Atlantean seemed to be coming around.

"We didn't come for a playdate." I lost my smile, seriousness crossing my face. It was game time.


	3. Independence Day P2

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Washington D.C.**

 **July 4th, 2010**

Sirens were blaring in the street at the local fire department was attempting to extinguish the fire inside the lab. I was heading straight for the building as I saw two men yelling for help. But Kid Flash ran past me as a small explosion set off, expelling the men from the building. Kid manage to go fast enough to grab the men and put them on the roof before losing momentum. I quickly bounded up the wall, digging my claws into the cement and leaping into the window and pulling Kid up.

"Well thank you, sweet cheeks." He grinned as I was lifting him, but I dangled him for a moment.

"I could drop you." I said before pulling him in. "Stop flirting, this is serious." I snapped as Robin swung into the building on one of his ropes.

"Anything for you, Kit-Kat." He just didn't know when to quit. Thankfully, Robin smacked him upside the head before I could. I peeked out the window and saw Aqualad move in.

"I need to borrow that." I heard the atlantean say as he used his water-bearers to channel the water from the firehose into a solid whirlpool beneath him as he rose up past the window. "Step aboard now." He ordered as I heard the scientists feebly jump from the roof onto the watery platform. As they descended, Aqualad jumped into the building and lowered the ment from there. "Appreciate the help." He quipped snidely as Robin hacked one of the computers with Kid Flash and I watching his back.

"You handled it." Robin said to him as I caught a scent of something extremely out of place. "Besides, we're here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?" Robin reminded everyone about why we're here as I slid past Aqualad, getting a good look at the think walking towards the elevator.

"Hey! Stop!" I called as I tried to catch up to it, but he was already in the elevator. With and oddly eerie ping, the doors closed. Aqualad and I approached it with confusion.

"There was something in the-" Aqualad tried to remark, as befuddled as he was. But Kid Mouth interrupted him.

"Elevators should be locked down." Kid said as he tried to move forward before Rob stopped him.

"This is wrong." Robin said as he just stood there looking at the elevator.

"Geez, you think?" I quipped at my little brother, knowing that this wasn't a normal elevator. Rob pulled out his holocomputer and scanned the doors and the interior.

"Thought so. This is a high-speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two-story building." Robin explained as Aqualad and I stepped forward, each of us picking a side.

"Neither does what we saw." He spoke as the two of us pulled open the elevator doors with ease.

"And that's why they need an express elevator." Rob observed as he knelt down and saw all of the little lights and floor markers going down farther than any of them could see. I saw the through the dark, straight to the where the elevator stopped, but the numbers where muddled from the angle I was trying to read them at.

"There's more that probably over fifty five underground." I told everyone as the elevator started moving again. "Let's go." I looked to Robin as he shot one of his grappling hooks and rode it down. I decided to save mine and leap toward the rope, sliding down, following my little brother. The Aqualad followed above me, then Kid Flash. But the sound of the grapple gun expelling rope soon ceased.

"I'm at the end of my rope." Robin stated as he swung forward onto the ledge just beneath the sublevel doors. I made it to the end, leaping forward and digging my claws into the metal wall to avoid falling. Aqualad landed easily and the two of us caught Kid, and swung him below before carefully pulling him up. "Bypassing security." Robin barely needed to physically hack, his personal algorithm doing it for him. "There! Go!" He gave us the clear as Aqualad and I pulled the doors back, revealing sublevel twenty six. "Welcome to project Cadmus." Robin was just as confused as the rest of us, but I caught a scent slightly different from the thing in the elevator, this one stronger, like there were multiple sources.

Kid saw my face and knew I was onto something, ducking back and launching forward, pulling me onto his back as I leaned up and smelled the rush of air. We kept going forward until the smell was right on top of us and boy did we find it.

"Aah!" Kid yelled as we tumbled into the walkway of what I assumed to be massive genetically engineered beasts, almost similar to elephants, but much larger and a lot scarier. I grabbed Kid's arm and pulled him out of the way just before he was stepped on.

"You okay?" I asked and he nodded, pulling onto his back again and ran between the things'

legs to the others. I hopped off his back and saw a little imp like creature with little devil horns riding on the shoulders of one of the beasts as it growled and huffed steam. I heard this little chittering noise as the little imp's horns glowed red. Suddenly, I felt like this was completely normal and I should forget about it.

"No. Nothing odd going on here." Aqualad droned as he gained the expression of a stoner. But it faded as the beasts disappeared with the memory of them. We got to moving again as we found another door, but I absolutely couldn't believe what was behind this one.

"Ok. I'm officially whelmed." Robin said as I moved forward, seeing the electric creatures in tubes. It made me nervous, but Rob put a hand on my back and I snapped back to reality.

"I'm guessing these things are power cells?" I looked to the others, gesturing to the creatures that looked like alien fireflies. Kid was catching my drift with this and put two and two together.

"This is how they hid this massive underground facility from the world. The real Cadmus isn't on the grid. It generates its own power with these... _things_. Must be what they're bred for." Sometimes, I loved how smart Kid was. He could follow my awkward ramblings, unlike some people. Robin was better at math, but KF understood science and physics the exact same way I did.

"Of course. Even the name is a clue. The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragons' teeth into the earth." Aqualad enlightened us with something none of us had cared to remember.

"And this Cadmus creates new life, too." I walked up to one of the tubes, pressing my hand to it. There was no electric shock so the insulation must be extremely strong, I still felt the hum, but nothing escaped the tube.

"Let's find out why." Robin walked over to a control panel and hacked into it, stealing and decrypting files. "They call them genomorphs. Whoa! Look at the stats on these things; super strength, telepathy, razor claws. These are living weapons!" Robin exclaimed as I balled my fists. This sounded a lot like a project that _failed_ two years ago.

"They're engineering an army, but for who?" Kid looked to me, seeing my anger and discomfort.

"Wait. There's something else. Project Kr." Robin continued to hack, but groaned in unsuccess. "The file's triple-encrypted. I can't-"

"Don't move!" I gruff voice orders. I opened my hands and my claws came out through the perfect slits at the tips of the fingers in my gloves. The sound of growling arrived as genomorphs with razor claws arrives. I got in a stance with my own claws at the ready, preparing for a fight. "Wait. Robin, Wildcat, Aqualad, Kid Flash?" The man in the golden helmet recognized us.

"At least he got your name right." Robin joked as he continued downloading the file to decrypt on his own. I move closer to him. If it came down to it, I had to protect him if he needed more time.

"I know you. Guardian, a hero." Aqualad identified him, relaxing in his demeanor as he expected a friend.

"I do my best." Guardian said as I notices a little imp like creature with little horns, perched atop the man's right shoulder. It seemed so familiar.

"Then what are you doing here?" Kid asked as I kept trying to figure out where I saw the little imp thing before.

"I'm chief of security. You're trespassing, but we can call the Justice League, Figure this out." Guardian said as Robin's download completed. I stayed in place, knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

"You think the League's gonna approve of you breeding weapons?" The moment Kid Flash finished his sentence, I saw the shock cross Guardian's face.

"Weapons? What are you-" Guardian stopped mid sentence at the little imp like genomorph's horns glowed red. "What have I-" He tried to fight it, but these little things must be the telepathic ones. "My head." Guardian groaned as his eyes closed and his hand pushed against his temple. "Take them down hard! No mercy!" Guardian ordered the genomorphs to attack and I went straight into battle, my growling rivaling the growls and snarls coming from the creatures.

Perfectly enough, my claws were just as strong, if not stronger, than the claws of the genomorphs as we battles. Robin threw a gas pellet at the ground shrouding us with smoke as I attacked one genomorph after another. Rob grappled out of harm's way to survey first and attack later. Kid Flash wasn't having the greatest luck with the creatures, but he was fast enough to back into the wall, leap off it to a beam, and vault into a double backflip, his boot landing on the face of a genomorph as they disappeared through the smoke.

I slashed at one's eyes before giving it a swift round house kick to the chest. At I battles another, Guardian slammed Aqualad into a metal panel before closing in for a real attack. I knocked out my last genomorph before intervening. I pounced onto Guardian and covered his eyes as Aqualad knocked him onto the ground. I lept off just as the Atlantean charged his icons and electrocuted the confused hero just enough to knock him out. More genomorphs came out of the smoke as Kid Flash, Aqualad and I ran off to find Robin. I ran ahead and lead them by tracking our Boy Wonder's scent. He was bypassing security to the elevator as the alarm above him blared.

"Way to be a team player, _Rob_!" Kid Flash snapped at the younger hero as the elevator door opened. The genomorphs were at our tail.

"Weren't you right behind me?" He asked, confused at the anger.

"Rob, the silent thing only works with Bats." I reminded him and he just let out a sigh of defeat. Aqualad dove into the elevator with just enough time for the door to close, separating us from the angry genomorphs.

"We're headed down?" Aqualad asked as the sublevels increased on the floor counter.

"Dude, out is up." Kid Flash was just as antsy as the rest of us to get out of here now that we've tripped security. But Robin had that look on his face.

"Excuse me? Project Kr, it's down on sub-level 52." He was angry that they weren't as interested and focused on the investigation as he was. I just let out a sigh.

"One day, Rob, curiosity is going to kill this cat." I took deep breaths, preparing for what we might find. But the little statement helped my little brother gain his smile back.

"This is out of control." Aqualad moved forward, rubbing the back of his blonde head. "Perhaps… perhaps we should contact the League." He turned around and faced us with his worry. But the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Robin and I bolted ahead as I heard kid say something to Aqualad.

"We are already here." He said before I heard him run to catch up with us. Aqualad sighed and followed us too. He was like the chaperone, trying to keep us out of trouble. The four of us found places to hide as we found a split in the path.

"Which way?" The atlantean asked as I caught the scent of the thing in the elevator. Things were going to go south again.

"Yeah. Bizarre-looking hallway one, or bizarre-looking hallway two?" Rob was indecisive, but before a plan could be made, that thing appeared.

"Halt!" It shouted at us as it through canisters of explosive chemicals at us.

"Bizarre hallway number two it is!" I shouted as we tried to put as much space between us and _it_ as we could. I could hear the sound of Guardian and his razor genomorphs on our tail. a large metal door opened as a scientist walked out. She was caught by surprise as Kid barreled right through her, sweeping her legs out from under her. The door began to close, but Kid grabbed one of those canisters and placed it just in time for it to jam the door.

"Hurry!" He waved us on as he entered the chamber. I dove through with Robin and Aqualad at my tail. Once we were all inside, Aqualad kicked the canister out of the way, forcing the door to shut.

"I disabled the door. We're safe." Robin said after he hacked the system once again.

"We're trapped." Aqualad's inner teenager was bleeding through as he began getting fed up with our endangering shenanigans and rebellion. I looked over through the dark, and saw something I wasn't expecting. There was a boy standing in a pod.

"Uh, guys. You'll want to see this." Kid spoke as he flipped on the lights from the control panel. Everyone was shocked as things began to trigger in my mind.

"Whoa!" Robin exclaimed as he got a good look at the person behind the glass. But I was just frozen in place, unable to focus.

"Big 'k,' little 'r,' the atomic symbol for Krypton. Clone?" Kid asked as he approached the pod. My hands were shaking as I stood in the back of the room. Panic welled up in my throat.

"Robin, hack." Aqualad ordered, needing answers. I couldn't take my eyes off the boy in the pod.

"Oh. Right, right." The Boy Wonder moved to the control panel as I tried to calm myself down. In the attempt to do so, I was trying to convince myself he wasn't drowning, there was no electricity, he wasn't me. The boy wasn't in pain. "Weapon designation Superboy, a clone force-grown in… _16 weeks_? From DNA acquired from Superman." Robin stated, shocking me back to reality. They were cloning people here.

"Stolen from Superman." I snapped at them, enraged now that we knew that it wasn't just creating creatures, but cloning some of the most powerful and dangerous being on the planet.

"No way the big guy knows about this." Kid Flash kept looking back at the clone, just as we all were.

"Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sun Radiation 24/7." Robin informed us, explaining why the thing was glowing.

"And these creatures?" Aqualad asked, gesturing to the little things above Superboy. They looked just like the thing that was on Guardian's shoulder.

"Genomorph gnomes, telepathic, force-feeding him an education." Everything that came out of Robin's mouth seemed so bizarre, but they never knew about some of the more otherworldly experiments I experienced.

"And we can guess what else. They're making a slave out of, well, Superman's... _son_." Kid Flash was becoming empathinc toward the clone. The look on Aqualad's face said it all.

"Now we contact the League." The atlantean said as he taped the symbol on his belt, it gloving blue, but all we heard was static.

"No signal." Robin said as he checked his holo computer.

"We're in too deep literally." Kid Flash looked at the ground. I guessed it was safe to assume that we all knew this was our faults. There was a period of silence as we each attempted to formulate a plan of escape. But the sound of the genomorphs hissing and chittering inside Superboy's pod made us all feel uneasy.

"This is wrong." Kid Flash felt bad for the clone as he looked ashamed to just be leaving him in the pod. I could see Aqualad debating this as well.

"We can't leave him like this." Robin reminded us, knowing that we had an obligation now that we've seen him.

"Set him free." Aqualad ordered, Everyone just stood there.

"Well if no one else is brave enough." I stepped forward and found the power controls on the panel and hit the release. The air inside escaped as the pod opened. I heard chittering from the genomorphs once again. The clone's hand stretched, then balled into a fist, his knuckles cracking. I didn't like the sound of that. His eyes opened, revealing the most interesting clear blue eyes that shone through his stern demeanor. Without warning, Superboy launched at an alarming speed at Aqualad, tackling him to the ground. The rest of us moved into action as we tried to restrain the kryptonian clone from attacking Aqualad, not that he couldn't take the hits as an atlantean.

"Hey!" I tried to get the attention of the angry clone, digging my claws into the skin on his shoulders as I pulled him back, but I obviously couldn't pierce his flesh.

"Hang on, Supey." Kid Flash pulled on of his arms back the best he could.

"We're on your side!" Robin shouted through his teeth as he restrained the other arm. Before the both of them knew it, Superboy yanked his arms and swatted Kid away, sending him through a glass storage unit. I moved quickly and grabbed his free arm.

"I don't want to do this." Robin said as he chucked a gas pellet into the clone's mouth, distracting him as Aqualad kicked him in the chest, sending him backwards, crashing into the control panel. Robin tried to taze him, but he just grabbed the wires and slammed my little brother into the ground, slowly pressing his foot into Robin's chest.

"Let him go!" I snarled, pouncing at Superboy, sailing right above his head, grabbing his shoulders, and swinging down the knock his legs out from under him so Robin could escape. Aqualad powered his water-bearers and created a massive hammer.

"Enough!" He shouted as I dove out of the way, giving him a clear shot at the clone. Kalder helped Robin up as I checked him to see if he was okay, but he passed out. "We are trying to help you." Aqualad put his hand out, trying to gesture for the clone to stop as I checked Robin's chest for broken ribs. Broken Ribs can puncture lungs and be deadly. No one was supposed to die today.

Superboy launched himself at Aqualad anyway, missing and smashing the floor as a result of the atlantean sidestepping. Robin was going to be okay so I ran to Kid Flash to check him as Aqualad tackled Superboy. His upper hand didn't last long as Superboy threw him off. They kept duking it out, as I found that Kid was still breathing, but he had at least two fractured ribs, like Robin. Kaldur tried to electrocute Superboy, but the clone just leapt high into the air and smashed Aqualad against the ceiling. But that wasn't enough, he did it a second time, knocking out the Atlantean.

I left Kid and bounded into action, attacking the Clone. I was fast, like he was, but I used my intelligence and small frame to my advantage. I dodge his blows for a few moments, but he managed to grab my arm and throw me into the metal door. I touched the back of my head, feeling the warm, wet sensation of blood. Before I could move, Superboy flew at me and grabbed me by the neck, my feet kicking out and flailing to find ground, or at least to hit Superboy. I couldn't breath as my neck was being crushed. He kicked down the door and dropped me at someone's feet. The man looked past us to observe the sight of the other three, knocked out on the ground.

"Attaboy." The scientist said in a deeply pleased tone. He then knelt down to me, removing the domino mask, looking into my feline eyes. "Oh, the board will be most pleased with your capture indeed." He spoke with a chilling voice as I tried to breath. I recognized him, he was one of the scientists that made me the way I am. Everything faded to black.


	4. Fireworks

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Cadmus**

 **July 5th, 2010**

 _Time runs short._ I deep voice said in the back of my mind. _You must awaken. You must awaken now!_ the voice ordered an my eyes snapped open. I could see my own reflection in a layer of glass just a few inches from my face. It was happening all over again. I struggled and fought against the restraints, but they were too tight. I released my claws and began scratching at the metal as the hyperventilation set in.

"What? What do you want? Quit staring, you're creeping me out!" Kid Flash shouted as I struggled to jam my claws into the cuffs, attempting to break them open.

"Uh, KF, how about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?" Robin reminded Kid, but I growled in anger. I needed to get out.

"We only sought to help you." Aqualad said as I caught Kid Flash's gaze through the corner of my eye. But I noticed him turn away.

"Yeah. We free you, and you turn on us. How's that for grat-" Kid Flash was angry, but now wasn't the time for his big mouth.

"Kid, please, be quiet now. I believe our new friend is not in full control of his actions." Aqualad rationalized. I started to calm down, understanding that he could be under the same control as Guardian.

"Wha-what if I… What if I wasn't?" Superboy asked Aqualad as I heard the faint sound of Robin ejecting the lockpick in the pointer finger of his glove. I took the lead and tried to calmly use my claws to find a stress point to utilise.

"He can talk?" Kid Flash asked. I really wished I could face palm right then.

"Yes, _he_ can." Superboy snapped at Kid, balling his fists once again. Everyone looked at Kid.

"Not like I said, _it._ " Kid tried to defend himself as Robin and I continued to attempt to break free.

"The genomorphs taught you telepathically." Aqualad figured from the intelligent speech and the fact that they were trying to force feed him an education. We were all beginning to get a little interested in the process it took to create him.

"They taught me much. I can read, write. I know the names of things." Superboy explained to us, but it all sounded depressing.

"But have you seen them? Have they ever actually let you see the sky or the sun?" Robin asked, feeling bad for the clone.

"Images are implanted in my mind, but no. I have not seen them." The clone looked down, realizing that it was all wrong.

"Do you know what you are, who you are?" Aqualad asked as I found a weak spot in my cuff. Now all I had to do was figure out how to manipulate it to release me.

"I am the Superboy, a genomorph, a clone made from the DNA of the Superman, created to replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the light." Superboy recited it, like it was the first and foremost information and thought in his mind.

"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration, but like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that Solar suit, beyond your pod, beyond Cadmus." Aqualad was slowing getting to showing Superboy that he could come with us. It seemed like a nice way to get him to free us.

"I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!" Superboy tried to fight his conflicted thoughts. I was sure that deep down. Superboy knew we were right.

"Your home is a test tube." Robin was hopping on the bandwagon.

"We can show you the sun." I told the clone with a hopeful smile, trying to help him realize his life doesn't have to be this way.

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight, but we can show you the moon." Kid Flash offered with enthusiasm.

"We can show you, _introduce_ you to _Superman_." Aqualad hit the jackpot with that one, but it was too late, the scientists returned with Guardian and their telepathing genomorphs.

"No, they can't. They'll be otherwise occupied. Activate the cloning process." The head scientist ordered to woman.

"Pass. Batcave's crowded enough." Robin quipped, but I got an idea.

"And get the weapon back in its pod!" The scientist ordered, Guardian moving forward and resting a hand on the Clone's shoulder.

"Hey. How come he gets to call Supey an it?" Kid Flash, half joked.

"Help us." Aqualad pleaded to Superboy, I guess it worked because he shook Guarding hand off of his shoulder.

"Don't start thinking now." The Scientist said as his genomorph leapt from him to Superboy, it's horns glowing. Superboy's eyes went blank as he lost all control. "See, you're not a real boy. You're a weapon, and you belong to me! Well, to Cadmus. Same thing. Now get back to your pod!" He ordered, Superboy walking away in perfect obedience. He then motioned the woman to start the cloning process.

"Stop!" I shouted as loud as I possibly could. "You said the board would be pleased now that I'm in you're custody, why do you need to clone me when I'm you're original, and only success? The other's died, so don't you need me alive to figure out how I survived?" I asked, hoping it would work. Everyone looked at me, Aqualad confused, Robin realizing my plan, and Kid Flash… he was realizing that I'm the same girl he ran to the hospital. I kept that hidden from him for so long, but now wasn't the time to worry about it.

"What makes you think I need you alive?" He asked, keeping a hand up, making sure that the female scientist didn't activate the cloning process just yet.

"I survived all the experiments before, I can do it again. Kill me, it's not the same variables. Clone me, you risk losing the added abilities, then you're back to square one." I completely bullshitting him, hoping that he would take the bait.

"I'm sorry, I already have my orders. I would take the opportunity if I could, but I don't want to get on the wrong side of the Cadmus Board of directors." The scientist sighed and gestured for the other one to activate the process. Prongs rose up from the bottom of the pod and injected all of us with needles. The second it did so, electricity ran through my body at such a high voltage, I couldn't bite back the pain. The shrill, but raspy scream that escaped my lips hurt even my ears. But out of nowhere, Superboy broke down the door, forcing the automatic shut off of the cloning process.

"I told you to get back to your-" Superboy was orders, but he pushed everyone away.

"Don't give me orders." He snapped at them as he approached us.

"You here to help us or fry us?" Kid asked, Superboy trying to focus his eyes.

"KF, if I could slap you, I would." I told him in a low tone.

"Huh. I don't seem to have heat vision, so I suppose helping is my only option." Superboy has a nice yet twisted sense of dry humor. Immediately, Robin broke free and I managed to claw open my cuffs.

"Ahh. Finally! Lucky Batman isn't here. He'd have my head for taking so long." Rob said as he rubbed his wrists. I let out a laugh.

"Seriously, that's what you're worried about? _The whole League_ will have our heads after tonight." Kid Flash barked at him. Robin just glared at him as he opened the other two pods.

"Free Aqualad. I'll get kid mouth." I told Superboy as I climbed up to Kid.

"Don't you give me orders either." Superboy grumbled at me. KF kept giving me this look as I clawed open his restraints.

"You're…" He tried to say it but I put a finger to his lips.

"I just don't want to talk about it, Wally. Let's just get out of here." I whispered with a small smile. His look softened and I helped him down from the pod. We all got moving together out of the room.

"You'll never get out of here! I'll have you back in pods before morning." The scientist threatened, but I just laughed at him.

"Sorry, but you already let the cat out of the bag!" I punned as I ran, Kid Flash laughing. Robin pulled out explosives and threw them at the spheres of our extracted DNA.

"That guy is not whelmed, not whelmed at all." Robin said as they exploded.

"What is it with you and this whelmed thing?" Kid asked, not having heard this thing before.

"He gained a new quirk, he found that he likes to play around with words." I explained as we ran.

"We are still 42 levels below ground, but if we can Make the elevator-" Aqualad started formulating a plan as we ran, but these massive genomorphs, like giant, frightening elephants, blocked our path. We all stopped in our tracks, looking back to see all the weird egg things glowing red as new genomorphs forced their way out of them, like breaking embryonic sacs. The massive genomorphs attacked, but Superboy took over with his unmatched strength. We all took the distraction and made it past, but Superboy's attack was compromising the hallway.

"Superboy, the goal is escape, not to bury ourselves here." Aqualad shouted, getting the clone's attention.

"You want escape?!" Superboy roared as he took one of the massive beast and threw it at the other two, following us to elevator. Aqualad forced it open himself this time. Robin and I shot our grappling guns and ascended with Kid Flash. Superboy took Aqualad and flew up past us, but decelerated at an alarming rate.

"I-I'm falling." Superboy fretted as Robin threw a batarang into the wall for Kaldur to grab onto. "Superman can fly. Why can't I fly?" He was so confused, as were the rest of us.

"Don't know, but it looks like you can leap tall Buildings in a single bound. Still cool." Kid said as he helped Superboy onto the ledge.

"Thank you." Superboy said with shame to Aqualad. The elevator was coming down towards us.

"Guys, this will have to be our exit." Robin shouted over the noise. Superboy kicked down the elevator doors and we all ran into a hallway as the elevator rode past us at a speed that would have killed us. We were forced down another hallway as Genomorphs began chasing us.

"Go left! Left!" Superboy suddenly instructed us, we all followed him.

"Right!" He shouted and we all turned to a dead end. I saw the air vent and ignore the others and Kid Flash opened his big fat mouth once again. I ripped open the vent cover and climbed in, Everyone following suit.

"At this rate, we'll never get out." Kid complained angrily, but I just swatted him as Aqualad and Robin passed me to take the lead.

"Shh. Listen." Superboy looked back. I heard it too, the genomorphs were coming. We slipped out of another vent just as Robin smiled and pulled out his holo computer. They passed right by us and crashed out of another vent cover.

"I hacked the motion sensors." Robin had his mischievous grin plastered to his face.

"Sweet." Kid Flash was getting optimistic, as was I.

"Still plenty of them between us and out." Robin reminded everyone.

"But I've finally got room to move." Kid put on his goggles and ran into the stairwell. The rest of us followed him up. It helped that he went first as he was just barreling through genomorphs like a human cannonball.

"More behind us." Robin alerted. superboy waited for Aqualad and I to pass before stomping down one of the staircases, blocking them from following.

"Oh, crud." Kid said just seconds before he crashed into the barrier keeping us from escaping.

"We're cut off from the street." Aqualad was getting aggravated. I just went to KF to make sure he was okay.

"Thanks. My head hadn't noticed." Kid Flash said as I helped him off the ground. Superboy and Aqualad tried to rip the barrier open as Robin tried to hack it.

"Can't hack this fast enough. This way!" Rob shouted as he found another route. We went through a door and found ourselves surrounded. Everyone got ready to fight our way out, but the little genomorphs' horns turned red and each of us came crumbling to the ground. I opened my eyes to Kid Flash pulling me to my feet.

"Feels like fog lifting." I heard Guardian say, the genomorph no longer perched on his shoulder.

"Guardian?" Aqualad asked, knowing the task was still to escape.

"Go. I'll deal with Desmond." Guardian was letting us escape. But I heard another pair of footsteps. I caught the scent of Dr. Desmond a little too late.

"I think not." The genomorphs parted like the red sea at the sound of his voice. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus." Desmond downed the vial of glowing blue liquid and immediately started to change, his glasses falling off and his joints cracking. He fell to the ground and his labcoat and shirt ripped open, even the skin falling off. He stood up and roared in an attempt to display his power.

"Everyone back!" Guardian ordered as he charged the monster, but it just swatted him away with a single blow. Superboy yelled as he attacked the monster, maintaining an upper hand until the Blockbuster monster met him mid air and crashed them both through the ceiling.

"Ok. That's one way to bust through the ceiling." Rob shot his grappling gun and took Kid up with him.

"You think lab coat planned that?" Kid questioned as he ascended.

"I doubt he is planning anything anymore." Aqualad curled his arm around my waist and took me with him as he leaped up and through the hole in the ceiling. The second we made it up there, Blockbuster threw Superboy at Aqualad. I dove out of the way just in time for Superboy to take Aqualad with him. We all followed to stay in a group to try and make a plan. the monster charged, so we did the same. Kid Flash ran ahead and slid between his legs, crouching behind him, and Aqualad and Superboy attacked, forcing the monster to trip over Kid.

"Learned that one in kindergarten." KF quipped as the fight continued. Robin flipped over Kid and tried throwing explosives, but Blockbuster just swatted them away before slamming Superboy into one of the pillars. Aqualad tried to help him but the monster smashed him into the ground so hard that the floor cracked beneath him as he yelled out in pain. I rushed forward and leapt onto his shoulders and he tried to stomp on Aqualad. I did my best to cover his eyes and try clawing them, but it was like scratching at Superboy, I couldn't do any damage. Wally came to try and help, but Blockbuster grabbed him and Aqualad and threw them at the far wall before throwing my off of his back and into a display case. Blockbuster went on to slam Aqualad through a pillar, destroying it in the process. Debris began to fall from the ceiling.

"Of course. KF, get over here!" Robin called. Kid detoured and grabbed me off the floor and brought me to my brother. Robin held me up with one arm as he ran through a plan of getting Blockbuster to take down the building. "Go!" Robin ordered after they confirmed the plan. Kid ran and grabbed the leftover skin off of Blockbuster's face, a smile creeping across his own.

"Got your nose!" He laughed as Blockbuster began to chase him.

"Superboy, Aqualad!" Robin called, showing them the plan as Kid Flash zigzagged across the room.

"Come and get me, you incredible bulk!" He shouted. Blockbuster smashed a pillar next to him, but a heavy chunk of debris hit him in the back. Blockbuster finally go close enough to hit him.

"Kid!" I shouted, running through the pain and attacking Blockbuster, giving KF enough time to get moving again as the Monster threw me once again. This time, I hit a wall. Robin grabbed me and dragged me into place as he directed Aqualad and Superboy. They smashed their pillars as Robin planted bombs in the others.

"Sorry. Try again." Kid Flash laughed as Blockbuster punched another pillar, missing Kid. My vision was going dark around the edges as I saw Robin draw a large 'X' with chalk. Aqualad sprayed it with water as Kid led Blockbuster into place. Superboy knocked him onto the ground as everyone got out of the water. Aqualad knelt down and electrocuted it, the electricity traveling to Blockbuster.

"Move!" Robin ordered, his bombs going off. Kid Flash grabbed me as Aqualad and Superboy shielded us and Robin from the debris of the collapsing ceiling. After a few moments, Superboy and Aqualad pushed the debris off of us and stood up. Robin and Kid Flash had smiles on their faces as Kid propped my head up on his knees. I was still disoriented, but I was getting better.

"We did it." Aqualad marveled as I notice how shredded everyone's uniforms were.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Robin said as he and Kid Flash panted. They tried to high five, but they each receive pains in their sides, causing me to laugh at them despite the pain in my chest. Kid just rested a hand in my hair and just looked at me for a moment before pulling my arm over the back of his neck and helping me stand up. Superboy was making sure Blockbuster was down when Kid Flash caught his attention.

"See? The moon." He smiled, Superboy marveling at the full moon surrounded by stars and the night sky. "Oh. And Superman. Do we keep our promises or what?" Kid land I laughed as the man of steel landed before us. But the mood went away when the rest of the League appeared, the entire league. All eyes were on us. The second I saw Batman, I let go of KF and stood on my own, as hard as it was. Superboy approached Superman in silence. When he showed him the symbol of his chest, the man of steel grew angry.

"Is that what I think it is?" Batman said out loud in his rough voice.

"He doesn't like being called an it." Kid said, but I elbowed him in the side. We shouldn't cross the League any more than we already have.

"I'm Superman's clone." Superboy snapped at him, the news shocking each and everyone of the Leaguers. But the rest of us stood our ground.

"Start talking." Batman orders and we all explained in detail. Kid almost spilled about Desmond being one of the ones involved in my kidnapped two years ago, but I stopped him and said I would talk to Batman about it later. After everything was said and done and some of the Leaguers took away Blockbuster, Superman approached Superboy.

"Well, uh… we'll figure something out for you. The League will, I mean. For now, I'd better make sure they get that Blockbuster Creature squared away." Superman rushed his speech, uncomfortable in the presence of his own clone.

"Cadmus will be investigated, all 52 levels, but let's make one thing clear-" Batman was angry, at least, Robin and I could tell, he was furious. But it almost helped that Flash interrupted him.

"You should have called." He reminded us. But they knew from what we told them that we were too far underground to contact them. By then, it was already too late.

"End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will _not_ be doing this again." Batman was cold, but I stood tall, showing him that I wasn't afraid or ashamed of what we did.

"I am sorry, but we will." Aqualad stepped forward, as the rest of the stood with conviction.

"Aqualad, stand down." Aquaman ordered his protege.

"Apologies, my king, but no. We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together on our own we forged something powerful, important." Aqualad spoke out about what we thought of our actions.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." I said harshly, looking my father dead in the eyes. From the behavior of the people around him, I had his glare spot on.

"If this is about your treatment at the hall, The four of you-" Flashe tried to rationalize our disobedience, but Kid interrupted his mentor.

"The 4 of us, and it's not." Kid's voice deepened as he corrected his mentor.

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us, or why teach us at all?" Robin questioned him. I refused to open my mouth, afraid of the scene I would cause, but I held my ground as I stared down Batman.

"Why let them tell us what to do? It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way." Superboy spoke like a leader. We all faced the League, ready to follow our own path. Batman focus his angry glower, the silence deafening.

* * *

 **Mt. Justice**

 **July 8th, 2010**

"This cave was the original secret sanctuary Of the Justice League. We're calling it into service again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms." Batman stopped his pacing and made sure how serious he was about all of this. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions." Batman finished explaining the basics of this operation.

"Real missions?" Robin asked, hoping to ensure our validity.

"Yes, but covert." Batman clarified.

"So we're doing the stuff you guys keep secret from us?" I asked with a slightly excited tone, but my dad just looked at me.

"Yeah, the League will still handle the obvious stuff. There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests." Flash tapped his emblem.

"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter. Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly." Aquaman continued the explanation.

"The six of you will be that team." The second Batman finished the sentence, I was ready to call him out on the mistake, but Robin beat me to it.

"Cool! Wait. Six?" He questioned as everyone looked behind us.

"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian." Batman introduces as a green girl with brick red hair and brown eyes walked in, her costume white and blue, but with the same red 'X' as her uncle.

"Hi." She greeted us nervously.

"Liking this gig more every minute." Wally whispered to Rob before stepping ahead of everyone else. "Welcome aboard. That's Wildcat, I'm Kid Flash. That's Robin, Aqualad. It's cool if you forget their names." I smacked the back of Wally's head when he finished flirting with the new girl.

"I'm honored to be included." She smiled before looking to me. "Wasn't Wildcat a member of the Justice Society?" She asked and I sighed.

"Yeah, but I took on the mantle in Gotham since I'm feline." I smiled, making sure my eyes flickered between human and feline.

"Hey, Superboy. Come meet miss M." Robin called the Kryptonian teenager over. The second he walked over, she shifted her white shirt and cape to be a black shirt, still with the red 'X'.

"I like your t-shirt." She smiled, referring to Superboy's black t-shirt with a red superman symbol. Robin elbowed Superboy while Wally sped over to his other side and gave Miss Martian a smile. I just sighed.

"Today is the day." Aqualad said to me and I got over my irritation with Wally, joining the other's in the excitement of today.

* * *

 **Author's note: Hi! I hope everyone is enjoying the story, if so please review! I would like to hear some feedback to make the story better if need be:)**


	5. Welcome To Happy Harbor!

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Mt. Justice**

 **July 18th, 2010**

 **Recognized:**

 _Robin B01, Kid Flash B03, Wildcat B04_

Wally, Dick and I looked around and admired the cave quickly before running up to the others. Aqualad, Superboy and Miss Martian were standing at the Cave's holocomputer. When I saw what Miss Martian was wearing, I felt like I should have tried more. She was wearing a skirt and a cardigan, and I was just wearing a fitted grey sweatshirt with leggings and a pair of black converse. Unlike Dick, my sunglasses were in my pocket while I just left my green eyes feline.

"Did you ask him?" Robin rushed, hoping for an answer.

"What did he say?" Wally was in need of that answer as well.

"He's arriving now." Aqualad smiled, knowing how excited the other two were.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Wally nudged Robin just before the two of them took off once again. I walked with Kaldur while Miss Martian and Superboy followed awkwardly together. the wind outside picked up as Red Tornado landed in his crimson cyclone.

"Red Tornado!" Wally called out as he waved.

"Greetings." The android welcomed in his metallic voice. "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the cave?" He questioned, possibly curiously, if he was capable of that.

"We hoped you had a mission for us." Aqualad informed him, the rest of us looking at him with interest.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility." Tornado reminded us with a lower tone than before, like he was just reciting the statement.

"But it's been over a week, and nothing-" Robin tried to protest but Red Tornado put a hand up to silence him.

"You'll be tested soon enough. For the time being, simply enjoy each other's company." The android suggested, but no one necessarily wanted to do that.

"This team is not a social club." Aqualad stated harshly. It sort of will be considering it might be where we spend all our time with training and missions.

"No, but I am told social interaction Is an important team-building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave." Red Tornado said as he walked past all six of us and entered the cave.

"Keep busy." Wally grumbled, nudging Robin.

"Does he think we're falling for this?" Rob questioned angrily. I just crossed my arms, hoping Batman will get it together and just give us a mission already.

"Oh, I'll find out." Miss Martian whispered with excitement as she focused. But the computer recognized Tornado as he moved out of range. "I'm sorry. I forgot he's a machine, inorganic. I cannot read his mind." She sighed, looking down.

"Nice try, though. So, uh, you know what I'm thinkin' right now?" Wally asked her.

"We all know what you're thinkin' now." Robin snapped at him as I smacked the back of Wally's head.

"And now we tour the clubhouse." Aqualad said with slight boredom. It makes sense he wouldn't be interested in a tour.

"Well, Superboy and I live here. We can play tour guides." Miss Martian offered, but Superboy just rolled his eyes.

"Don't look at me." He replied with a gruff tone.

"We won't. A private tour sounds much more fun." Wally said, leaning towards Miss Martian. With that, my my interest in today fell to zero.

"Sh-she never said private." Robin sounded nervous. The two of them have been competing for Miss Martian's attention, but I saw it the first day we met her. She has her heart set on Superboy, she just doesn't know exactly how to go about it.

"Team building. We'll all go." Aqualad smiled, seeing the friendly competition rising and the irritation coming from Superboy and I. As we approached the entrance, Robin pulled on Wally's shirt to get closer to Miss Martian.

"So this would be our front door," She said as we entered, and after entering a large room with water and taking a set of stairs, we found the exit. "And this would be the back. The cave is actually the entire mountain." She gave us a nice little fact. Once we made it back inside Wally continued it.

"It was hollowed out and reinforced By Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League." He explained, as he was probably interested in the engineering of the cave.

"Then why abandon it for the hall of justice?" Superboy asked, slightly confused.

"The cave's secret location was compromised." Aqualad explained for him.

"So they traded it in for a tourist trap? Yeah. That makes sense." Superboy commented, his naturally angriness bleeding through his speech.

"If villains know of the cave, we must be on constant alert." Miss Martian had a strange realization.

"The bad guys know we know they know about the place, So they'd never think to look here." Robin took her hand, trying to be gentlemen-like, but Wally removed his hand. I could see the discomfort on her face. I nonchalantly kicked Wally in the shin and glared at Robin. The two of them backed off from her.

"Uh, he means we're hiding in plain sight." Wally told her, trying to get as close as possible without setting me off.

"Ah, that's much clearer." Miss Martian lied, though I wasn't sure she thought the hiding in plain sight didn't make sense, or the boys' behavior towards her. But even I had to admit, she really picked an attractive human form. If I could do that, I would make myself look like one of those Victoria's Secret models, or someone like Kaya Scodelario.

"I smell smoke." Superboy said with an annoyed face, like the smell was a little too much for his heightened senses. But Miss Martian just gasped.

"My cookies!" She squealed with her upset demeanor before flying off to the kitchen. We all followed, finding her staring at a pan of burned cookies. "I was trying out grammy Jones recipe from episode 17 of… Heh, never mind." She just rambled, probably from her nervousness.

"I bet they'd have tasted great. He doesn't seem to mind." Robin gestured to Wally, who was about to cram his third cookie into his big mouth. I started laughing at him, drawing his attention.

"What? I have a serious metabolism." He reminded me as he crunched through his mouthful of cookies. I just stifled my laugh to a slight giggle as I reached out and brushed the crumbs from his chin and shirt.

"I'll make more?" Miss Martian asked as Wally kept chowing down.

"It was sweet of you to make any." Aqualad commented, trying to make the martian girl feel better about how today has been going so far.

"Thanks, Aqualad." She took her gaze off the charred cookies, giving him a proper thank-you.

"We're off duty. Call me Kaldur'ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur." He smiled as he revealed to us his name. I kind of felt nice that he trusted us that much, beside the fact that it wouldn't matter. All Atlanteans know who he is, it wasn't really a secret. But he considered s friends.

"I'm Wally. See? I already trust you with my secret I.D." Wally leaned forward, propping his head up on his hand, leaning on the counter. He just sparked agitation in me everytime he flirted with her. It was so obvious what he was doing and how awkward she felt.

"Unlike Mr. Dark Glasses and Ms. Kit-Kat, Batman's forbidden Boy and Girl Wonders from telling anyone their real names." Robin just frowned, his hands on his hips.

"Mine's no secret. It's M'gann M'orzz. Like, you can call me Megan. It's an Earth name, and I'm on Earth now." She seemed so excited, but there was an awkward silence as Superboy started to walk away, but he quickly lost his temper.

"Get out of my head!" He yelled just as my mind suddenly felt completely off.

 _What's wrong? I don't understand. Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically._ I heard her voice echoing in my mind, and it hurt. My hand flew to my head as I backed away, trying to resist the pain burning through my conscious.

"M'gann, stop." Kaldur raised his voice, everyone looking at him as the pain subsided. "Things are different on Earth. Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy." He explained as simply as he could without being rude to her. But M'gann's eyes just widened.

"Besides, cadmus' creepy little psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain." Wally said with a hand up, like he was trying to keep it a secret from the guy with super hearing.

"I-I didn't mean to-" She tried to apologize but Superboy snapped at her.

"Just stay out." Superboy barked. We all just stood there for a moment until M'gann spoke again.

"Hello, Megan. I know what we can do." She smiled, flying off towards the hangar. Robin and I shrugged, the rest of us following her. We got into the elevator, the doors opening to the massive hangar. "It's my martian bioship." She introduced the rather large, red egg looking thing.

"Cute. Not aerodynamic, but cute." Wally commented just before stepping towards me.

"It's at rest, silly. I'll wake it." M'gann raised a green hand and the pod stretched like taffy into an incredibly designed ship, proving Wally wrong on its level of aerodynamics. It flipped around and the back stretched down into a sort of boarding dock. M'gann approached it and turned to face us half way. "Well, are you coming?" She asked, all of us following her in. "Strap in for launch." She told us.

"Whoa." Robin and I said at the same time as we each sat down on opposite sides of the ship, the ship strapping us in on its own.

"Cool." Wally observed as he sat down in the chair behind me.

"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors." M'gann requested. The giant doors in the side of the mountain slid open, and off we went, flying through the air.

"Incredible." Robin remarked, trying a little too hard to please M'gann with his impression of the ship.

"She sure is." I looked back to see Wally looking right at me, eyes wide before whipping his head around to M'gann. "I-I mean the ship, which, like all ships, is a she." He got out as fast as he could, failing in making things any less awkward for everyone. I faced the window and leaned away from everyone, trying to hide my red cheeks.

"Fast with his feet, not so much with his mouth." Robin laughed, looking at M'gann.

"Dude!" Wally barked at Robin, upset with the Boy Wonder's need to one up him in the unwinnable competition for M'gann. I just tried to zone out everyone while I was trying to get a grip on my emotions. Today had a little too much irritation and embarrassment for my taste.

"Hey, how 'bout showing us a little martian shape-shifting?" Robin asked after a few moments. I felt like my face wasn't on fire anymore so I turned to see M'gann smile and move to the center of the ship. Slowly from the feet up, she became a taller, female version of Robin before twirling and posing as a female Kid Flash.

"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" Wally said, seemingly melting to this just before M'gann made a perfect copy of my when I'm in uniform as Wildcat.

"Impressive, But you know you're not exactly gonna fool anyone as Robin and Kid Flash." I said as my little brother and I both seemed to give her a light clap for the effort.

"Mimicking boys is a lot harder." She blushed, looking down at the floor of the ship.

"And your clothes?" Kaldur asked, a little confused as to how even the costumed worked out with her current outfit.

"They're organic, like the ship. They respond to my mental commands." She explained with a smile. But Superboy didn't seem pleased.

"As long as they're the only ones." Superboy spoke gruffly, like he didn't mean to say the comment aloud.

"Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Manhunter does?" Wally asked, interested in the ability

"Density shifting? No. I-it's a very advanced technique." M'gann said sheepishly.

"Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall." Robin laughed for a moment, trying to make M'gann feel better with what he said next. "When he tries it, bloody nose." Rob gestured to Wally.

"Dude!" The redhead barked once again.

"Here's something I can do. Camouflage mode." M'gann spoke at I noticed the exterior of the ship disappear, only leaving a faint outline as the ship blurred the details of the town below as it passed over things.

"Red Tornado to Miss Martian." The android radioed in to us. "An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate covertly. I'm sending coordinates." He informed, finally giving us something to do.

"Received. Adjusting course." She slipped right into a serious demeanor that I never expected to come from someone as upbeat as her.

"Tornado's keeping us busy again." Robin pouted.

"Yeah, not necessarily." I chided him, once again, irritated with his impulsive conclusions.

"She's right, a simple fire led you to Superboy. We should find out what caused the alert." M'gann convinced the others.

"I think I know the cause." Superboy said as he looked out of the window to see a massive tornado in the middle of the power plant's parking lot. The ship got caught in the current, but M'gann maneuvered it just fine, getting the ship close enough to the ground for us to all drop out. Rob and I shared a look and disappeared, wanting to know what what was going on. We ran through the plant, each of us laughing at the excitement of finally getting in on some action. But what we found was a giant red mech. I was borderline thinking that it was a suit, but it could have been an android like Red Tornado. The thing seemed angry as Robin and I drew its fire, windows shattering as we past. The second Robin faltered in his change of course, the thing blasted him with pressurized air, sending him straight back into the wall. I ejected my claws and charged the mechanical man as the other's arrived, Superboy going to Robin's side as he picked himself off the ground.

"Who's your new friend?" I heard him ask loudly.

"Didn't catch his name, but he plays kinda rough." Robin replied, but the red and black mech slowed down, swatting me away.

"My apologies." He spoke in a cold mechanical voice as my body slammed into the wall behind Robin. "You may address me as Mr. Twister." The second he said his name, he ejected two more tornadoes, making it difficult to get close to him. But Superboy pushed on, only to be blasted back into a wall. Everyone prepared for combat as Superboy took a minute to recover. Rob and I moved over to the rest of the team as Wally put on his red Kid Flash goggles.

We all charged Twister at the same time. Wally running ahead and doing a front handspring to vault himself, his feet landing hard on Twister's metal chest. The red mech just grabbed him and tossed him outside, his momentum sending him out of range. Kaldur and M'gann tried attacking at the same time, but were blaster away.

"I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero. I was not, however, expecting children." Twister remarked as Robin pulled a few explosives out from under his jacket. I did the same.

"We're not children!" Rob shouted as we each threw two explosives at Twister. But he just shielded himself from the initial explosions, but my second one embedded itself in Twister's head as Robin's did his chest.

"Objectively, you are." The red mech spoke as he pulled out devices off and tossed them aside like he did with the others of our team. "Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite _disturbing_." He emphasized the word as he looked at his massive metal hands. Like a girl checking her nails to ignore someone.

"Well, we hate to see you disturbed. Let's see if you're more turbed once we kick your can." Robin said as he found a new word to play with. The rest of the team minus Wally got together and stood strong against him, once again. M'gann used her telekinesis to rip open a part of machinery, sending a blast of steam over Mr. Twister to distract him. Superboy sprang into the air, aiming to smash Twister, but he was just blasted away by another tornado, sending him straight into M'gann as she tried to fly by. Robin, Kaldur and I charged as Twister punched the ground, sending Aqualad and Robin into the air, but I jumped just in time and somehow manage to get close enough to shred the metal that made up his face. He quickly grabbed my waist and threw my outside, sending my flying far past Wally. He saw and managed to get to my faster than I could hit the ground, catching me before swinging me onto his back and sprinting for Twister. I lept off his back as the two of us dodged the possibility of attacks and went on opposite sides of the mech.

"What have you done to our team?" Wally shouted, angry with the fact that this guy might actually get away.

"Embarrassed them, largely." Twister said as he launched a tornado at Wally, sending him flying once again. I pounced in rage, aiming to slash the blue tubes feeding the tornadoes to his hands, but he somehow sidestepped, grabbing my by the neck. I clawed at his hand, but all I was going was shredding metal, I couldn't find a weakness, as all the circuitry was shrouded by thick layers of steel and titanium.

"I got you, Wally." I heard M'gann say as I looked over to see Wally hovering in mid air above the ground as I dangled, struggling to fight the massive hand.

"I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now." Twister said as his fingers tightened, my breathing beginning to become labored. I caught this weird smell coming from Twister, like ash and wet dirt.

"What do you want?!" I screamed at him with everything I had. But Twister began flying into the air, taking my with him.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm waiting for a real hero." He snapped at the Team, throwing me with extreme force at my friends. Thankfully, Superboy leapt into the air and caught me, setting me down behind the others.

"Read his mind. Find a weakness." Kaldur ordered but M'gann hesitated.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to do that." She seemed worried.

"It's okay with the bad guys, just do it!" I yelled, picking myself off the ground, ready to fight again. I noticed M'gann focus before getting angry.

"Nothing. I'm getting nothing." She shouted. "Hello, Megan. Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise. He's inorganic, an android. And how many androids do you know that can generate tornados?" M'gann seemed to have the right idea, but I knew she was wrong.

"He's not Tornado. I know this sounds weird but this guy smelled like wet dirt and ash while we were up close and personal. Tornado smells like our hideout and various members of the Justice League. Besides, RT's tornadoes are red and Mr. Twisters, are funneled from his back to his hands through tubes." I explained how I knew. I sounded absurd with the scents but I knew I was right. "Just trust me, he's not Tornado."

"But, Red Tornado sent us here." Kaldur seemed to be on M'gann's side.

"After saying we'd be tested soon enough. This is his test, something to keep us busy." Robin snapped, angry. Neither of them went with me. They went with M'gann. I didn't blame them, she sounded more solid, but I knew I was right.

"Speedy called it. We're a joke." Wally looked at the ground. I wasn't going to let it stop me that they didn't believe me. Kaldur punched the palm of his hand in rage before facing Twister. "This game, so over." Wally said as we all got closer to the hovering Mr. Twister.

"We know who you are and what you want." Robin shouted as I hung back behind the rest of the Team.

"So let's end this." Kaldur offered, but it didn't seem like Twister was going to go along with this.

"Consider it ended." Twister said in his deep, mechanical voice. He raised his hands and began making a massive supercell tornado, lightning flashing above him.

"An impressive show, But we will not indulge you. We will not engage." Kaldur tried to convince the mech as more lightning flashed.

"Uh, can Red Tornado... do that?" Wally asked, they were finally seeing it.

"No! I'm telling you! This isn't Red Tornado!" I shouted over the noise of the storm.

"You think I'm Tornado? Ironic." He said as lightning struck the ground, exploding before us with extreme force, knocking us all back. I was flipped over in mid air, my face hitting the ground first. There was a moment of fear as Twister drew closer, but something happened.

"Fine, then. I won't deny you children have power, But playing hide-and-seek with you Would not help me achieve my objectives, So stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show no mercy." Mr. Twister promised as he flew away towards town.

"What happened?" Wally asked before looking to me, his eyes widening. I touched my nose and found that it was bleeding, just a bit.

"I placed the bioship between us." M'gann explained as I made sure my nose wasn't broken. Superboy yelled as he decimated to stones.

"And that's supposed to make it right? You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado." He snapped at her.

"No, Any of us could have made the same conclusion, I'll admit even me. But none of you listened to me. I'm never wrong about scents, being feline, all of my senses are heightened, even smell. I know the difference between Mr. Twister and Red Tornado." I reminded them, my voice muddled as I held my nose to stop the bleeding.

"We should have listened." Wally admitted, putting a hand on my shoulder. In that moment, I fought my face heating up. I knew if that happened, I'd be as red as a tomato. But instead, an idea popped into my head.

"With that said, I actually have a plan, and it involves contacting Red Tornado first." I told them, looking right at M'gann. She was about to be the most useful person on the team.

* * *

 **Happy Harbor**

"Certainly this will get the required attention." Mr. Twister said as he tore through the town with his tornados.

"You got ours, full and undivided!" Wally shouted as he ran up to Twister and slammed into his chest, properly this time.

"Immaterial and insufficient! You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate." Twister glared at Wally as Superboy game soaring through the air, a battle cry announcing his attack. But Twister moved out of the way, making Superboy miss. Twister sent a tornado at him as I ran up. Superboy threw me straight through the tornado and landed me on Mr. Twister. I slashed out his right eye before vaulting off of him, making sure not to let him get an upper hand. Twister used his abilities to throw a boat on top of Superboy as Wally ran me out of the way. Kaldur and Robin appeared, charging Twister. The atlantean was blown away, literally. Wally ran and did a front tuck, right over Twister's head to draw his attention. Robin threw bombs, disrupting the tornadoes and attacking Mr. Twister as Superboy came out of nowhere and knocked Twister back. M'gann was taking a little longer than I had hoped.

The town was being destroyed as Kaldur and Superboy drew attention away from Wally, Robin and I behind a crashed boat. Rob and I pulled out our utility belts from our jackets, extending them before securing it across our bodies from shoulder to side.

"You brought your utility belts?" Wally laughed.

"Never leave home without it, first thing Batman taught us." Robin defended and I checked my stock of weapons.

"Yeah, right after never go to the bathroom without it." Wally joked, but I backhanded his arm.

"Hit the showers, boys." I heard a familiar mechanical voice. It appeared to be Red Tornado, which was crucial for the plan to work. "I was hoping you could handle this. Clearly you cannot."

"But we've got a plan now." Robin technically wasn't lying, so it was perfectly convincing for Twister.

"The subject is not up for debate." Fake-Tornado said quickly. All of us walked away, getting out of sight and into place for the plan.

"I was beginning to believe you'd never show up." Mr. Twister seemed relieved.

"I'm here now." Fake-Tornado said as he disrupted the ground, a Tornado appearing beside him. If you had eyes like I did, you would see a faint shade of red from Wally's shirt. The tornado collided with Twister's before both dissipated, Wally running off to ensure not being seen. "We are evenly matched, Twister."

"No, Tornado, we are not." Mr. Twister said as he shot electricity at Tornado, managing to explode a boat, knocking Fake-Tornado to the ground, face electricity and everything 'escaped' his as he 'short circuited'. "Remain still, android. The reprogramming won't take long." He said as chords escaped Twisters fingers and attached themselves to the back of Fake-Tornado's head.

"Longer than you might think." M'gann said finally in her own voice as she removed the chords and her own face returned.

"No." Twister knew he'd been duped. M'gann blasted him back into Wally's tornado as she turned back into herself. Wally finally stopped at Twister sailed through the air. Superboy and I ripped through him, destroying his main motor skills before throwing him into the harbor. Aqualad held up his part of the plan with flying colors as Twister exploded from the water, one arm missing. M'gann used her telekinesis once again, ripping off his remaining arm before Robin threw explosives, ensuring he would stay down. Twister hit the ground, but got up to his knees. The inside of the machine opened up, a small man stepping out.

"Foul. I-I call foul." He spoke, but I knew he was just another android. I couldn't hear his, should be racing, heart beat. M'gann knew it too. She willed a giant rock to hover above the android.

"M'gann, no!" Kaldur shouted, but she smashed it.

"Don't know how things are done on Mars, But on Earth, we don't execute our captives!" robin stepped forward, trying to scold her, but I punched his arm.

"You should trust her more." I said, giving M'gann a smile as she lifted the rock to reveal a destroyed android, wires and all.

"That's why I couldn't read his mind." M'gann explained, proud of her decision. I saw Wally grab the disconnected eye.

"Cool. Souvenir." He smiled before putting it in his pocket.

"We should have had more faith in you, the both of you." Kaldur put a hand on her shoulder, looking at me.

"Yeah. You guys rocked this mission. Get it? Rocked." Wally punned, actually making me laugh.

"Ignore him. We're all just turbed you're on the team." Robin said to M'gann. Wally walked up to me with a smile, wiping a little drop of blood left under my nose.

* * *

 **The Cave**

"It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you." Aqualad said as we all observed the remains of the smaller android.

"Agreed." Red Tornado, the real one, said as he studied the data.

"Is that why you wouldn't help us?" M'gann asked.

"No. This was your battle. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you. Nor should you solve mine for me. Consider this matter closed." RT said as he walked away.

"Batman, Aquaman, and Flash, they'd have jumped right in to fix things." Wally realized.

"Guess if we're gonna have a baby sitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need." Robin figured.

"Dude." Wally just looked at him.

"Harsh." I said, elbowing Robin in the side.

"And inaccurate. I have a heart, Carbon-steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing." Red Tornado said as he looked back at Rob. He just released a nervous chuckle.

"Right. Sorry. I'll strive to be more accurate." Robin said as Kaldur rested a hand on his shoulder.

"And more respectful." The atlantean instructed him.

"Speedy was so wrong." Wally smiled looking at me.

"This team thing," Robin started.

"Might just work out." Aqualad finished as we all headed to the kitchen.

* * *

 **Author's note: I hope you all are enjoying to story so far, if so, please review!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	6. Drop-Zone

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Santa Prisca**

 **July 22nd, 2010**

As I sat in uniform next to Kid Flash in the Bioship, I braided my high ponytail, ensuring my long black hair was secured. I felt weird in the new uniform. After Cadmus and my head bashing experience with Mr. Twister, my father commissioned a better, more secure costume for when he's not there to help me. The fabric of this one was stronger, while still lighter than the other one. The red slash marks on my chest were now gold, matching my utility belt and instead of just hugging my neck, the suit connected with a cowl. My eyes feline eyes weren't concealed, like in my father's cowl, but I had cat ears atop my head similar to his bat ears and the expression was a little less angry than Batman's. There was a hole, high on the back of my head for me to pull a ponytail through. The rest of it was exactly the same with the black gloves and boots, the glove still perfectly formed to the tips of my fingers with slits so I could still use my claws without ripping the suit. So I sat, fidgeting with my hair as we flew.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca." M'gann announced as we flew. The sun had already set, and the clouds and stars were a bit mesmerizing as I reflected on Batman's brief of the mission.

* * *

 **The Cave**

 **Earlier that day**

"Isla Santa Prisca." Batman introduced as he pulled up all of the necessary data and information for the mission he was about to assign. "This island nation is the primary source Of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid: a strength enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory Is still operating at full capacity, But all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this team comes in." Batman explains as he looks at each and every one of us. "This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will. The plan requires two drop zones." Batman continued, but Robin used the pause in the speech to ask what we were all wondering.

"So who's in charge?" He voiced, everyone looking from him to Batman in expectancy. Wally nudged my side while smirking. Probably thinking it was going to be me, or maybe he had the daft idea that he would be the Team's leader. Batman and Red Tornado looked at eachother before he spoke.

"Work that out between you." He announced to us, making everyone on edge. No one necessarily wanted to just claim the position, forcing someone else beneath them. But I saw the look on Robin's face, he wanted to be the one.

* * *

 **Present time**

"Drop zone 'A' in 30." Miss Martian announced, Aqualad's seatbelt removing itself as he stood up. His chair melted back into the ship just before he tapped the icon on his belt, turning his red dive top into a dark grey.

"Ready." He informed her.

"Putting Bioship in camouflage mode." Miss Martian announced as the outside of the ship disappeared from view. The ship flew closer to the water as a hatch opened below and Aqualad jumped out in a swan dive. As we flew closer to the island, we heard Aqualad radio in.

"Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in." He alerted before disconnecting the line.

"Drop zone 'B'." Miss Martian announced, everyone standing up, their seats melting back into the ship. She willed lines to come down from the ceiling, Robin, KF and I hooking them to our belts. Kid tapped the Icon on his chest, his yellow and red suit becoming dark grey and black with crimson decals.

"How cool is this?" Wally looked to Miss Martian, showing off the capabilities of his new suit.

"Very impressive." She indulged him before willing her usual uniform to become a black body suit with the red 'X' remaining on her chest, her dark blue cape extending to her mid calf and a hood forming.

"Uh, that works, too." Kid got a sly look on his face as I kicked him in the shin. "Hey, Supey, not too late to put on the new stealth tech." He offered, but the Kryptonian just crossed his arms.

"No capes, no tights. No offense." Superboy had this weird thing about wearing hear uniforms, but it didn't bother me.

"It totally works for you…" Miss Martian lost herself for a moment. "In that you can totally do good work in those clothes." She was completely awkward, giving a thumbs up before blushing and putting her hood up, using her martian camouflage to turn invisible. A hatch opened in the bottom of the ship, Miss Martian flying down and the rest of us using our lines, minus Superboy. We all disconnected and jumped out of the way as he smashed down, creating a sizeable crater beneath his feet.

"Knew I didn't need a line." He finally smiled, not something he did that often.

"Really?" I sassed, making a face at him.

"And yet creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert." Robin barked at him as Miss Martian radioed in.

"Aqualad, drop 'B' is go." She said, awaiting his response.

"Head for the factory. I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP." Aqualad ordered.

"Roger that." Robin replied from his holocomputer before turning it off to avoid the light being seen. We all took off, making our way to the factory. I couldn't stop to admire the scenery, but even at night, this place was amazing as we hiked through the jungle, even under a waterfall. But I suddenly heard twigs snapping that weren't from any of us.

"Did you hear that?" Superboy looked to me.

"Uh, no." Kid Flash was quick to answer.

"Yeah, there are people ahead." I nodded, smelling the air to try and see how many there were.

"Wait. Is this a super hearing thing?" Kid asked and I smacked his arm.

"Shut up, I'm trying to focus." I snapped at him in a whisper.

"You do have great ears." Miss Martian commented with this look on her face like Superboy was just melting her.

"Ok, Rob, now what?" Kid looked around, but Robin was already gone. "Man, I hate it when he does that." He complained. I knew exactly what he was doing, but since he didn't voice it, I decided to stay with the Team to make sure they didn't get themselves killed. This was probably going to come back and bite Rob in the ass.

"Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked." Aqualad radioed in to us. I watched as KF pulled down his goggles and and flipped a switch.

"Got a squad of armed bozos incoming." He reported as I climbed a tree to see if I could get a better vantage point since I can see in the dark.

"Two squads. But they'll meet each other before they find us." Superboy reported just before we heard the sound of gunfire.

"No super hearing required now." Wally said as he started to move forward.

"Swing wide, steer clear." Aqualad ordered, but Kid wasn't going to listen.

"Yeah, yeah, as soon as I find Rob." He said before disappearing to the jungle, straight towards the gunfight. But I heard it the second he slipped and fell straight down the hill. "So much for the stealthy." Kid said sheepishly before running away from the gunfire. Bane tried to get him, but Superboy got in the way, knocking the Venom producer to the ground. The two of them fought as I attacked the people shooting at KF, making sure not to get shot. Robin sailed down from the trees and assisted, taking out some of the shooters.

"What is wrong with you guys? Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?" Robin shouted. I snorted. It came back to bite him faster than expected.

"That's what you were doing?" Kid yelled as he took out two more guys.

"Way to fill the rest of the Team." I laughed as I slashed a guy's chest before kicking him into the tree.

"We're not mind readers, you know. Er, I'm not anyway." Kid said as Miss Martian telekinetically slammed someone into a tree.

"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds." She smiled, looking to Rob and Kid. I looked over and saw Aqualad grab a gun from someone before electrocuting them and destroying the gun by stomping on it.

"I recognize those uniforms." I said, looking to Robin. We had everyone tied up to trees, making sure they didn't escape to alert the factory of our presence.

"They belong to the cult of the Kobra." He informed all of us.

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation." Aqualad observed, thinking about how thorough the briefing was.

"Agreed, and since there's clearly no love lost Between the cultists and those goons," Robin looked to me with a smile. I knew exactly what was running through that kids mind.

"I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off." I finished for him with a sigh. He was getting a little too into his role tonight.

"We get it." KF droned. "Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats, and we'll be home in time-" I knew he was going to say in time for breakfast, but Robin cut him off.

"These cultists aren't on Venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave. Not until I know why." Robin spoke harshly, and with that, there was a fair chance I was going to dead leg him right then and there.

"What did you just say?" I asked him through my teeth, fed up with his behavior this mission.

"Until _you_ know why?" Kid leaned forward, slanting his eyes at the little hero.

"This team needs a leader." Robin argued.

"And it's you? Dude, you're a 13-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word." KF literally proved Rob unfit to lead us with a single sentence. But the Boy Wonder just laughed.

"And you're a mature 15? You blew our cover first chance you got." Robin tried to flip it around on Kid but I stood between them.

"Think about it, his suit is usually a bright yellow and red. He's just not used to stealth missions. He would have known better if you just stuck with the Team of at least said what you were going to do. He only got caught trying to find _you_ before we got to the Factory." I jabbed my finger into his chest, looking down upon him as I spoke. But I only set him off.

"You could have told them!" Robin snapped at me and I just laughed at him.

"I could have, but it was your action, not mine." I said calmly with a smile. But the smile faded as they kept going. But one thing brought me back in.

"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!" Kid shouted at Robin, trying to prove himself better.

"Neither does Batman!" Robin brought up his best argument, but this was going to fail for him. Kid started to walk away but Rob followed him.

"Duh, you're not Batman." Kid Flash reminded him harshly.

"Duh, closest thing we've got." Robin defended, this being the part where I stepped in.

"Oh, excuse me? You know you didn't just say that because _I'm_ the closest thing this Team has to Batman. I know when to switch between Batspeak and actually communicating with my Teammates!" I snapped at him coldly. He stopped in his tracks.

"Such clever ninos. But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest… Get you into the factory via my secret entrance." Bane said as he laughed at the arguing. Miss Martian knelt down and focused on Bane's mind.

"There is a secret entrance, But he's also hiding something." She said before trying to dig deeper into his mind.

"Ah, ah, ah, chica. Bane is not that easy." He smirked in that stupid wrestler mask. Miss Martian groaned in aggravation.

"He's mentally reciting futbol scores en espanol. This could take a while." She frowned, trying to keep going.

"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." He was trying to get us to release him from his bindings. I looked to Aqualad and he nodded. I stepped forward, using my claws to shred the roped in one swipe. Bane lead us to a cliff where he revealed the factory below, crawling with kobra cultists. Robin and I pulled out our binoculars and scoped out the place.

"Look at all that product. A buy is going down. But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-" Robin observed as Bane walked away, but I followed him closely.

"We need to identify that buyer." Aqualad said as he saw me following Bane.

"Just what I was thinking." Kid Flash said, pulling away from the edge of the cliff.

"Yeah, you're the thinker." Robin commented, but I shot him a look that he knew meant: _Don't make me come over there._

"Sarcasm? Dude. A real leader would focus on getting answers." Kid Flash said as I watched Bane remove a boulder from the entrance of an old mine shaft.

"Answers are this way." He informed everyone with a snide tone in his voice.

"So, now el luchador is our leader." KF commented, Robin whacking him in the back of the head. We all followed the villain until he stopped and stuck his thumb in a scanner, opening a door to the factory. Bane opened the door just barely so Robin could take a peek out.

"All clear." He informed the rest of us when he could've given someone else a chance to do it. He just slipped out and disappeared.

"Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane asked, looking around for Robin.

"No, he just does that." Aqualad informed the villain.

"Stay put. I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder." Kid tried to leave, but I grabbed his shoulder, pressuring him with my claws.

"Nice try, but not alone. Aqualad?" I asked the atlantean and he nodded. I hopped on Kid's back and he ran us off to find the control room or at least an accessible computer.

"Whatcha got?" Kid Flash asked as we found rob hacking the Kobra systems with a cultist knocked out on the floor. I hopped off Kid's back as he pulled a protein bar out of the compartment in his suit.

"Chemical formulas." Robin said, immediately pulling Kid's interest. "I'm guessing it involves Venom, but…" Robin couldn't really tell from the molecular model.

"This one's Venom, and that one's… whoa. The Blockbuster Formula from Cadmus. Mixed correctly, Kobra's new juice is than Venom and permanent." Kid educated us on what we were looking at.

"But how did Kobra get access to project Blockbuster?" I asked, looking at Robin, making him think. The supplier has to be coming for their shipment tonight.

"Our mystery buyer must also be Kobra's supplier! Using the cult to create a Blockbuster Venom super formula." Robin put it all together pretty quickly. "Robin to Aqualad, we got... Static." Robin spat as he turned off his radio. We were going have to do this the old fashioned way. But it was too late, the sound of gunfire and something roaring in the main area of the wear house signaled our cover was blown. Robin, Kid Flash and I ran out over the catwalk to see what was going on. Aqualad had a shield up, Miss Martian was down, and Superboy was battling what I guessed to be the test subject of the new Kobra Venom. I dove off the catwalk and took out the Kobra cultists shooting at Kid Flash and Aqualad.

"Miss Martian, radio is jammed! Link us up!" Aqualad ordered and suddenly I felt like a wave went through my mind.

 _Everyone online?_ Miss Martian echoed in my mind.

 _Yeah._ Superboy wasn't pleased but he was rolling with it.

 _You know it, beautiful._ Kid said with the dorkiest smile on his face.

 _Oh, shut up._ I glared at him before racing off to take out more Kobra cultists.

 _Good. We need to regroup._ Aqualad ordered but Robin spoke up.

 _Busy now._ He said quickly. I smelled the air, finding that he left the Warehouse.

 _Robin, now!_ Aqualad ordered more forcefully. _Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path._ With that, I saw KF zigzag through cultists like it was nothing. I ran like hell, dodging gunfire as I followed the speedster. Everyone was running, but Superboy got sidetracked with the test subject. But he got inside and slammed the door shut before running with us. But the cultists and the subject were still on our tail in the mine shaft.

"Superboy, the support beams!" Aqualad said out loud, Superboy smashing the metal beams and the tunnel behind us collapsing. We were safe, for now. Aqualad snapped a red glowstick.

"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin asked. I wanted to say something so badly, but I held my tongue.

"You do have the most experience. Perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan." Aqualad explained in a calm and cool manner, trying not to offend the Boy Wonder.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands." Robin spoke, but the second he heard himself, his face twisted into defeat. Who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can." Robin smiled, finally knowing he was right.

"Please! I can run circles-" I put a hand to Wally's chest. "Wally, come on. You know he's the one. We all do." I got him to stop. He just looked down at me in the red lighting.

"Hello, Megan. It's so obvious." Even M'gann saw it.

"Could have told you." Even Superboy agreed, everyone looking to Wally, who was still looking at me. I took a step back.

"Okay." The speedster agreed with confidence, putting his hands on his hips. Kaldur approached Robin and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Then I accept the burden, until _you_ are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon." Kaldur saw Robin's potential. Even Batman has seen it, but even he knew Rob wasn't ready to lead. "All right. Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island." Kaldur made it clear what our goal was.

"Funny. I had the same thought." Robin admitted. "When I said I was busy earlier, I sabotaged their helicopter." He smirked, proud of his unseen handiwork.

"Sportsmaster's the supplier/buyer. But it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster Formula." Robin said as he went through data on his holocomputer.

"Or to get Kobra to do his dirty work." I reminded them. Kobra was a force to be reckoned with, especially not by a butch assassin.

"And neither of them have the chops to bond Blockbuster with Venom. That took some major nerdage." Wally said as we all ran.

"Takes one to know one." I snorted, but Kid just laughed with me.

"I believe the expression is _tip of the iceberg_." Aqualad said just before we made it to the end of the tunnel.

"Halt, ninos. I'm feeling explosive." Bane said as he primed the explosives above us.

"You betrayed us. Why?" Aqualad stalled.

"I want my factory back." Bane said like it was so obvious, and it was.

 _Kid, you'll need a running start._ Aqualad ordered in the link.

"So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect." He said as the detonator disappeared from his hand.

"With what? This trigger thingy?" Kid taunted the villain with the detonator in hand. Bane bellows as he swung at the Speedster, but Miss Martian levitated him into the air, Kid remaining intact. Superboy walked over and got into position with a big smile on his face. I had to admit, he was pretty ballsy, and it was awesome.

"Finally. Drop him." Superboy said with his rare smile. Miss Martian did as he asked, letting Bane plummet as Superboy punched him as hard as he could. After, we made a break for the helicopter pad at the factory. Kid Flash ran ahead and took out as many as he could as he drawed their fire.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra ordered but Superboy crash landed with his smile still plastered to his face.

"Go again?" The Kryptonian offered the test subject, it roaring in anger. But Kid Flash knocked the cultist out of the way of the subjects rampage and the second he was in place, Aqualad blasted the creature with highly pressurized water. "Sorry. Not the plan." Superboy smiled. But Sportsmaster came out of no where, shooting Superboy with something that was actually hurting him. Even grabbing Miss Martian while she was in camouflage mode, putting her in a choke hold. But Kid ran by my and put me on his back. I held onto him tightly with my legs, clawing and punching cultists like they were nothing, the speed being an added bonus. He let my hop off as he stopped in front of Kobra himself.

"Souvenir." Wally smiled, holding one of the cultist's masked before taking off again. Robin threw his bolas at Shimmer, quickly tying her up and keeping her out of the fight.

"I know you hate getting your hands dirty." Robin taunted as he and I surrounded Kobra, the man's attention focused on Robin, not me.

"True. But sometimes, even a god must stoop to conquer." Kobra said as he dropped the cloak, Robin charging him. Kobra blocked every one of Robin's blows. The second he kicked Robin away, I raked my claws down his back and rolled under his legs, standing between him and my little brother.

"What happened to gods bleeding golden ichor?" I smirked at him, showing him the red blood dripping from my claws before backing up to stand with Robin.

"What's wrong, boy? You look disconcerted." Kobra said, completely ignoring me. Robin just gave me a mischievous look. The helicopter took off with Sportsmaster inside, but I heard a familiar click, the helicopter exploded, even crashed into the factory, destroying all of the Kobra Venom. But Kobra saw this as a distraction and threw me aside, putting his foot down on Robin's chest.

"I am plagued by mosquitoes." Kobra said angrily as I picked myself up as silently charged him.

"Good, 'cause this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain." Robin said as I tackled Kobra to the ground, allowing for Rob to regroup with the team. Kobra punched me in the eye, knocking me back to the Team.

"Another time, then." He said before disappearing into the darkness of the jungle. Robin checked for where he went as Kid Flash ran to my side, helping me up from the ground.

"We picked the right guy to lead. Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman." Robin laughed as the massive factory was going down in flames.

* * *

 **The Cave**

 **July 23rd, 2010**

"A _simple_ recon mission, observe and report." Batman spoke harshly, leaning closely into Aqualad's face. Everyone felt awful as Batman scolded us for the happenings of the mission. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your _many_ mistakes. Until then, Good job." Batman shocked everyone with that last line. I even took it as an okay sign to lift the bag of ice in my hand and put it back to my eye to help the swelling go down. "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character." With that, everyone felt a little bit better about blowing our cover on our first mission. As Batman dismissed us, we all separated.

"Hey, wait up." Wally said as he sped over to me. "How's your eye?" He asked and I just laughed at the red head, removing the ice from my face.

"You tell me." I smiled, showing him the swollen, black and blue mess. He had this look on his face as he reached up, lightly touching the bruises. "I'll be fine, it's not my first black eye and I've received them from much worse." I quickly realized what that must have meant to him.

"I remember, you had some pretty gruesome injuries that day Flash and I found you fighting ice villains in the street, all on your own." He said quietly, but I just looked down on the ground.

"I remember." I said before turning to walk away from him.

"Are we not going to talk about this?" He asked, just standing there, not following me in fear of overstepping a boundary. I just remained silent before programming the Zeta-tube to take me to the Batcave. "You know I'm here." Wally said before I stepped into the tube.

"I know." I just barely looked back, not making eye contact with him. I walked into the Zeta-tube, it bathing my in it's golden light as I left him behind.

 **Recognized:**

 _Wildcat B04_


	7. Schooled

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **August 3rd, 2010**

We were all standing around in our uniforms, waiting for our first day of official training to start. Wally was currently beating Kaldur in a game of holographic air hockey. The sound of him scoring the final point rang through the mission room of the Cave as Kaldur just have him this look as Wally took a bite of a banana. We all heard the computer interface activate, drawing attention to the Zeta-tubes.

 **Recognized:**

 _Superboy, B05_

"Hi, Superboy. How was Metropolis?" M'gann asked as the angry Kryptonian walked right through our game, his pout returned after our mission.

"Ready for training, everyone?" I heard a familiar female voice. I turned to see who it was.

"Black Canary! Uncle J'onn!" M'gann was so excited as the two Leaguers walked in from another part of the Cave. She walked over and hugged her uncle tightly.

"M'gann, I was in the neighborhood, So I thought I'd see how you were adjusting." Martian Manhunter said as he ran a hand through his niece's hair.

"Hey, Canary." I smiled, greeting the woman who's idea it was for me to request the mantle of Wildcat from Ted Grant, the original. I noticed the rip in the shoulder of her jacket and the white bandaged as the blonde smiled, hugging my briefly.

"The new uniform suits you and reminds me a lot more of Ted." She smiled, looking me up and down. I was pleased that she approved, seeming as she knew the man better than everyone minus her mother, the original Black Canary.

"Thanks, it's what Batman and I were sort of going for." I smiled as she looked past me.

"Stick around. Class is in session." Canary said to Superboy, who tried to leave. She stood in the center of the active holopad, the computer recognizing her and setting up the training program. "I consider it an honor to be your teacher. I'll throw a lot at you." She spoke opposite us in the circle, Superboy just standing behind her. "Everything I've learned from my own mentors-" She winced as she took off her jacket. "And my own bruises."

"What happened?" M'gann asked with worry, her eyes big and sympathetic.

"The job." The blonde said in all seriousness as she tossed her jacket aside. "Now, combat is about controlling conflict, putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting, never reacting. I'll need a sparring partner, how about Wildcat." She looked at me expectantly. I let out a sigh and approached her, getting into a fighting stance at the exact time as her. She lunged at me and I immediately flipped back, out of her reach. I pounced at her, blocking her punch and swinging down as she kicked near my head. I kept my claws in and leapt up, kicking her in the chest, forcing her back as I once again pounced forward in an attempt to tackle her, but she rolled and grabbed my arm, flipping my past her and slamming me into the ground.

"Well that was fun." I smiled as she picked me up off the ground.

"It was excellent. If you focus on your training here and with Batman, you'll definitely live up to your mantle." She complimented me before sending me back to the others. "Who's next?" She asked, looking at everyone else.

"Right here." Wally raised his hand as I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah! After this," he threw his banana away, "Swish! I'll show you my moves." He flirted, Canary slightly taken aback at his adorable but feeble attempt at getting an older woman. She immediately threw a punch, just slow enough to bait him into blocking. The second his arm was up, she whipped around and kicked his legs out from under him, flipping him onto his back. "Hurts so good." He said from the floor.

"Good block. But did anyone see what he did wrong?" Black Canary asked as she helped Wally off the floor.

"Ooh, ooh. He hit on teacher and got served?" Robin asked, embarrassing Wally. I bursted out laughing.

"Dude!" The speedster whined as he walked back to the group. I stayed quiet because she wasn't looking for me to answer, I've already had a few lessons from her before when Batman was busy with Robin and their dynamic duo thing.

"He allowed me to dictate the terms of-" She tried to explain, but Superboy wasn't having it.

"Oh, please. With my powers, the battle's always on my terms. I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time." He was harsh, but I'm sure he thought he was right. I was just waiting for him to get his ass kicked.

"Prove it." Canary said as a familiar look crossed her face. This triggered Superboy. He walked up to her on the holopad and crossed his arms. Canary leaned in slightly, using an intimidation tactic. Superboy mimicked her, but he channeled intimidation all on his own. They both immediately took a stance, fists up, feat staggered. Superboy threw the first punch, but Canary quickly grabbed his arm, throwing him right over her own head. He landed on the far side of the circle, flat on his back. Robin started laughing, but Kaldur elbowed him in the side, causing him to stifle it with his hands. Superboy got up, angrier that before.

"You're angry. Good, but don't react. Channel that anger into-" She was cut off by another one of his angry battle cries as he charged her, throwing another punch. But she flipped over him, just a second before impact, landing in a crouch and swinging her leg around, kicking his legs out from under him. Robin chuckled a bit more from behind his gloves.

"That's it. I'm done." Superboy barked as he refused her help, picking himself up off of the ground.

"Training is mandatory." She quickly reminded him, resting her hand on his shoulder. But he shook her off, his anger becoming more and more prevalent.

"Batman to the cave." Transmission came in, suddenly I was looking at my Dad's face on a massive holographic screen. "Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary." He said as a picture of an android appeared on the screen. "The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating The powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant." Batman said as the footage paused at the android using Superman's heat vision.

"Whoa. One guy with the powers of the entire League?" Wally looked to me, but I avoided his gaze.

"In the end, it took eight leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android." Batman concluded the quick brief.

"An android? Who made it, T.O. Morrow?" Rob asked as he looked at the freeze frame of the android.

"Good guess, Robin." Batman praised him. "But Red Tornado doesn't think so." Batman looked at Martian Manhunter.

"The technology bears the signature of professor Ivo." Manhunter said in a deeply grave tone.

"Ivo? But Ivo's dead." Kaldur said with shock.

"So we all thought… or hoped." Canary looked back at him, speaking with a low voice, remembering the days when he clashed with the Justice League.

"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized, We're sending two trucks carrying the android's parts to two separate S.T.A.R. Lab facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation." A map appeared with the routes highlighted in red. "Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone, tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks." Batman finished the mission brief, Wally immediately celebrating.

"Yes! Road trip." He grinned like a child, nudging me. But I ignored him the best I could.

"So now we take out your trash?" Superboy asked Batman over the transmission, irritated with how the mission assignments and information has been so far.

"You had something better to do?" Batman replied immediately, putting Superboy in his place.

"Coordinates received. On our way." Kaldur reported as he checked the tablet in his hand. The entire team moved out, heading for the motorcycles that had been added to the cave for mission purposes. I pulled back my cowl as I slipped on the civvies set out next to my bike, putting the helmet on with my sunglasses.

* * *

 **Litchfield County**

We all sat in wait behind the trees and shrubbery as the Leaguers made sure the parts went into the right trucks. Everyone on the Team was dressing in similar civilian clothing, only distinguished by the color scheme. We all even had our own style of bikes, but mine was the most similar to Robin's, while M'gann's was more of a vespa. Everyone was slipping on their helmets as the trucks all started their engines.

"S.T.A.R. Boston is a go." One of the other driver's said into the radio frequency.

"S.T.A.R. Manhattan is go." The other followed suit. Batman silently motioned for them to move out, the trucks all heading in opposite directions. I rode off with Robin and Superboy, trailing the truck to Boston.

"If dislike is the opposite of like, Is disaster the opposite of aster? See, instead of things going wrong, they go right." Robin just couldn't not talk, especially when he had wordplay on his mind. "Uh, clearly you're not feeling the aster." Robin commented on Superboy's demeanor, looking to me to ask.

"What's wrong?" I inquired, not turning my head to prevent reckless endangerment.

"Canary. And what business does she have teaching combat skills To a guy with super strength?

"Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig. Canary learned that the hard way. Same with Batman and, well, me." Robin answered. But Superboy just revved his engine and pushed on, closer to the truck to get some place from us. Out of nowhere, these monkey looking robots began attacking our truck

"Robin, Superboy, our truck is under attack." Aqualad radioed in to us.

"Kind of figured." Robin replied as He and I caught up to Superboy.

"I hate monkeys." Superboy grumbled as we rode behind our monkey infested truck. They began to interfere with the drivers, forcing the truck to swerve between lanes.

"Robot monkeys!" Robin laughed. "Totally Ivo's tweaked style, right Wildcat?" Robin asked as his bike's hind wheel became a hovercraft ready to fire at will.

"Definetly." I said as I gained a smile from my little brother's quirk.

"Hey, hey. Switch your rides to battle mode." Robin told Superboy and I as we rode, figuring out our own plans.

"No point." Superboy said as he sped up a leapt off his bike, onto the top of the truck.

"He's right," I said, following Superboy's lead. My bike swerved and knocked Rob's out from under him. But he acted fast, using a grappling gun to get himself on the back of the truck, already taking out monkeys. I used my claws and slashed at as many as I could, throwing dismantled ones into the others trying to land on the truck. Superboy was just getting hot headed as he threw robots off of himself, but the one in his hand shot lazers, burning his eyes as some of the other monkeys flew him away from the truck, dropping him into the street. Robin pulled out a batarang and started using it like a knife, slashing through the robots, just as I was. But once he got on the top of the truck, he pulled out his escrima sticks, the two of us going back to back. We fought the monkeys as they tried to sabotage the truck and steal our half of Amazo. We kept destroying them, clearing the truck, but they just kept coming. But then, Superboy landed on the truck and rejoined the fight.

Our luck was running out fast as the tired began to go. The truck kept swerving as I went into the driver's cab and pulled him out, driving with him and Robin just before the truck began to roll. The monkeys got away with the crate, but Superboy was so angry that he ignored us and went after them.

"Superboy!" Robin shouted after him, but there was no time.

"Aqualad to Robin. We've lost our cargo. Did you-" Rob saved him the trouble.

"It's gone. And so is Superboy." Rob sounded so angry and defeated.

"Aqualad to Superboy. Radio your position. We'll help you." Aqualad offered through the line.

"I don't need help, don't want any!" The Kryptonian barked.

"Superboy?" Aqualad asked, but there was nothing.

"I think he ditched his comm." Robin answered.

"Super. Now we can't even track him." KF was just done with today.

"He's out of my telepathic range. This professor Ivo, if he is alive, seems to be two steps ahead of us. M-maybe w-we should contact Red Tornado?" Miss Martian asked Aqualad, wondering about what to do next. All of us were thinking something like that right now.

"Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves. And the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts Before they're reassembled." Aqualad reminded us. In the back of my mind, I was thankful we chose him as the leader. Her was still calm through all of this.

"Well, that's a great plan, except for the part about us not knowing where to look!" Kid was burning a short fused at the moment. But I ignored it.

"Maybe we do. We'd have heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked. So how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?" Robin said into the comm as he attached a cord from his holo computer to one of the destroyed monkeys.

"Rob's hacking into a monkey. I'm pretty sure he's thinking the monkeys can track the signal." I said as our genius Boy Wonder got to work.

"I'm right!" He quickly celebrated. "The parts have gps. Which means I can track them with the one I captured. It looks both sets of parts are converging on... Gotham city." Robin looked at me with worry. I pressed the recall button on my holocomputer, my bike activating down the road and returning to me. Robin did the same as he picked up his monkey.

"That far south? M'gann and I won't get there anytime soon. I'm sending kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out." He said as the two of us hopped on our bikes and rode as fast as we could to Gotham.

"Definitely a disaster." I sighed, my speed inclining.

"Heavy on the 'dis." Robin added, slightly helping my mood. Rob and I ditched the civilian garb. I pulled my cowl back up and stringing my ponytail braid through, ensuring it was secure. After a while, After the sun had begun setting, I noticed Kid catching up to us.

"So you changed, too?" Robin asked the speedster as we went.

"You kidding? I feel naked in civvies." KF shuddered as he said it.

"I know the feeling." I laughed, forgetting to ignore him this time. My response nearly made him trip.

"You still tracking the parts?" Wally inquired after finally pulling it together.

"They were heading through Gotham, But they veered." Robin said as he checked the map on his bike. "Wait. Dude, they're at our school." Robin looked right at me, worried. We moved as quickly as we could, making it to the school and into the gym, just in time to see Amazo standing, completely assembled, about to smash Superboy. But Kid sped through the gym, grabbing him out of the way.

"Yoink!" Kid said as he took Superboy to safety. Robin threw an explosive at the android but it reacted quickly.

"Martian Manhunter." It spoke just before it density shifted, the explosive missing him. "Access Red Tornado." It activated, blasting Superboy and Robin into the bleachers and me and Kid Flash over to the side. "Access Captain Atom." It spoke before firing yellow light.

"Look out!" I screamed as I pulled Kid out of the way. He in turn, pulled me onto his back and ran back around to attack this thing. "Access Black Canary." Amazo blasted us with a copy just as potent as Canary's cry, throwing us back once again. "Martian Manhunter." Amazo suddenly started slashing his arms around as they stretched out like whips. I ran, trying to attack him with my claws. "Access Superman." He just backhanded me, sending me flying through the air and crashing through the observation window into one of the english hallways. I could barely feel anything, but I saw a blonde girl in a green costume, firing a bow. I scrambled to me feet an looked where her shot went.

"Martian Manhunter." Amazo said, no longer crushing KF as the arrow passed right through him. I looked to the archer and she looked at me with nervousness. She had been seen.

"You're Wildcat." The girl said, slowly putting her compound bow down.

"You just saved my best friend." I retracted my claws, trying to seem harmless. "Hey, you look a lot like…" I was about to say a cross between Green Arrow and Sportsmaster, but I stopped myself. "I have to get back." I said, climbing out of the window.

"You never saw me." The blonde girl said as I turned to face her.

"You're secret's safe with me." I whispered, saluting her before I dove backward, twisting as I sailed through the air.

"Superman." Amazo said as I landed next to robin, his eyes growing red. I grabbed my little brother and threw him out of the way just before Kid Flash ran to my aid and got me away.

"Access Black Canary." I heard Superboy say to himself, his face calm but nervous.

"Oh, yawn. Normally, Amazo would study and mimic Your abilities during battle, but what's the point? You're all such poor copies of the originals." Ivo just acted like we were nothing. I saw Superboy's face twist, but not like his usual angry face.

"So everyone keeps saying. It makes me angry!" He roared as he jumped high into the air, smashing the bleachers where Ivo had just been sitting. He was now running away. "Want to see me channel that anger?" Superboy roared, making himself more threatening.

"Great. He's gone ballistic again." Kid freaked out, knowing that Superboy cannot be controlled or contained.

"No, just pay attention and wait for the right time to move." I said, Robin catching my drift.

"Amazo, protect your master. Priority alpha." I heard Ivo say just before he bolted again, dodging Superboy.

"Captain Atom." Amazo fired the golden light at Superboy, and he just let it hit him. Ivo had his monkey droids pick him up the carry him away, but Robin had another idea.

"Anyone want to play keep-away?" Robin laughed, kicking Ivo in the back, pushing him to Kid Flash.

"OOH! Me! Me!" KF said as he made a break for Professor Ivo.

"Access Superman." Amazo stomped on the floor, the wooden floor boards erupting, launching Kid into the bleachers again. I pounced at Amazo, my claws out, hoping he would mimic the right hero. "Martian Manhunter." He density shifted and I fell right through him. Superboy made it in time to stick his fist into Amazo's phasing face just as he said Superman. the Android began to short circuit just before his head exploded, sending him to his back.

"Help me disassemble him now!" Robin ordered and I bolted, dicking my claws into the shoulder socket and ripping out one of Amazo's arms.

"Dude, the guy has no head." Kid said as he rubbed his arm.

"Don't take any chances." Aqualad said, him and Miss Martian finally here.

"Superboy, are you alright?" Miss Martian helped him up, checking to make sure he was okay. But I didn't think he was okay because he actually smiled and welcomed the contact.

"I'm fine. Feeling the aster." He grinned, sharing a look with Robin.

"Hey. Where's Ivo?" Kid Flash asked, looking around at the damaged and smoking gym.

* * *

 **The Cave**

 **August 4th**

"The Amazo android is in pieces again, safely being analyzed at the two separate S.T.A.R. labs, but Ivo escaped, and since he originated the tech, he's arguably more dangerous than the android." Aqualad reported to Batman.

"Capturing the professor will be a League priority." Canary told us, hoping that none of us would go off and hunt him on our own.

"But we understand your mission encountered other complications." Martian Manhunter said, referring to Superboy's episode and the way we had to dismantle Amazo.

"Complications come with the job. Your ability to handle them has impressed the League." Batman informed us, everyone getting excited.

"The whole League?" Superboy asked, almost like he didn't want to know the answer.

"Given time, yes. Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads." Batman indulged Superboy, something he rarely does with anyone beside Robin and I when he's wearing the cowl.

"Of course, there's no shame in asking for help. That's why the League exists, because there are some problems even we can't handle individually." Batman was telling the truth, But Robin just had to open up his mouth.

"Please. If we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask. Look familiar?" Robin said as he pulled out the arrow that saved Kid Flash. "You were following us! Babysitting! You still don't trust us." but I had to stop him, whacking him in the shoulder.

"Once you see one of G.A.'s arrows, you'll know that isn't one of his." I said as Green Arrow did exactly that.

"But that means…" The smile on Robin's face grew.

"Speedy!" The smile was contagious as it spread to Kid Flash and Aqualad.

"He has our backs." Aqualad seemed pleased. But I looked to Batman, not wanting to say anything now to spoil their fun.

"Souvenir!" Wally said as took the arrow from Green Arrow in a blur of red and yellow.

"We need to talk." I said quietly to both Green Arrow and Batman as the others walked to the kitchen to feast on some of M'gann's cookies.


	8. Infiltrator

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Mt. Justice**

 **August 8th, 2010**

"Hello, Megan. We should hit the beach every day." M'gann said, excited about it finally being warm enough outside to do this. She had a boogie board in hand and a yellow bikini with shorts on. She mimicked mine for all but the color, black.

"First, a moment of silence for our absent comrade." Robin said as he bowed his head. He just looked odd with his towel hanging from the back of his neck like a scarf.

"Poor Wally." M'gann looked down at the ground, but I had to hold back a laugh. All I needed to do was rub it in Kid Mouth's face when he got back from school, after we've already finished the Beach Day. We all just dropped our stuff and ran in, Robin immediately splashing M'gann and I as Superboy waited on the beach. Out of nowhere, he got this smirk.

"Oh no you don't!" I squealed with laughed, trying to move away from the others. But it was too late, he jumped high into the air and came crashing down into the water, curled up for a cannonball. The splash was near impossible to avoid. M'gann and I just laughed as our hair dripped with cold seawater.

After a bit, I grilled hotdogs for everyone, being sure to toast the buns and add the right amount of condiments for Superboy, M'gann and Kaldur. Rob and I ditched the buns since we still had to avoid carbs the most of the day to be at the top of our game with Batman. After Lunch, the Volleyball game commenced, and since there was an odd number of people, I volunteered to be referee and keep score. I just kept thinking about how Wally was in gym right about now, probably getting his butt kicked in dodgeball since he had to play down how fast he really was.

The day went on as I laid out to tan, but was sucked back into the fun as we started to bury Superboy. He just took a nap as Kaldur kept a bucket full of water so we could pack it all down tight. The small mountain of sand made it at least four feet high when Supey finally woke up, laughing at what we did. It was nice to see him actually being a teenager for once. But our beach day soon came to a close, with the sun beginning to set. As the sky grew orange, M'gann used her telekinesis to take a photo of all five of us with the water in the background. After that, we all went inside and got cleaned up, the request for us to suit up echoing over the intercom of the Cave. When I emerged into the mission room with my cowl up and my hair in a ponytail braid, Green Arrow, Batman, Red Tornado, and someone new were standing in the center of the holopad.

 **Recognized:**

 _Kid Flash B03._

"The wall-man is here! Now let's get this party star-" I couldn't help but laugh as Wally walked in, clad in his bathingsuit and carrying all of his beach stuff, then proceeded to trip, faceplanting in front of everyone, his beach ball bouncing past Batman, who was not amused. "-ted." He said in defeat, the sunglasses on his face crooked and falling into the sunscreen on his nose.

"Wall-man, huh? I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?" The new girl asked, a mischievous look plastered to her face. I recognized the midriff uniform and compound bow. This was the girl from our Battle with Amazo. They found her.

"Uh, who's this?" Wally asked, wiping the sunscreen from his nose.

"Artemis, your new teammate." She smiled, making herself look entitled as the Leaguers stayed quiet, letting her handle her own introduction.

"Kid Flash. Never heard of you." Wally smiled, putting his hands on his hips, the blonde girl just narrowing her look at the half dressed speedster. I was doing my best to hold back laughter.

"Um, she's my new protege." Green Arrow informed, stepping forward to put a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened to your old one?" Wally asked, and almost as if on cue, the computer announced a Zeta arrival.

 **Recognized:**

 _Speedy B07_.

"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow." He walked in, his new uniform looking a lot better on him that the old english robin hood suit.

"How original." I muttered under my breath, Superboy chuckling quietly as he was the only one who heard.

"Roy. You look-" Green Arrow was smiling, approving of what Speedy had done, but he wasn't having it.

"Replaceable." He said, looking right at Artemis and her green bow.

"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo." Green Arrow explained. I figured he and Batman found her, taking her in to make sure she stayed out of trouble from trying to strike out on her own. G.A. was the obvious choice for her mentor.

"So why waste time finding a sub? Can she even use that bow?" Roy snapped, glaring at the petite but built girl. She just pursed her lips.

"Yes, she can." Artemis stepped up to him, closing in on his personal space and she got on her tip toes, almosts purposefully trying to get on his nerves. I was beginning to like this girl.

"Who are you?" Wally raised his voice, completely confused about where this girl came from and why he had never heard about her before.

"I'm his niece." "She's my niece." Artemis and Green Arrow both spoke at exactly the same time. I figured this wouldn't be the time to bring up how I knew her considering they were lying about who she was.

"Another niece?" Robin questioned, crossing his arms and he took in the whole situation.

"But she is not your replacement. We have always wanted you on the team, and we have no quota on archers." Aqualad stepped forward, trying to welcome Red Arrow, but the redhead just stepped back, facing the rest of the tea,.

"And if we did, you know who we'd pick." Wally tried to make Red Arrow feel better about the situation, but I elbowed him in the ribs.

"But the more long range fighters we can get, the better our chances." I said angrily, looking right at Wally, but this time, he was ignoring me.

"Whatever, baywatch. I'm here to stay." Artemis glared at Wally, knowing she didn't have anything to prove to him.

"I like her." I smiled, looking at Robin. He and M'gann seemed to be on the same page that I was.

"You came to us for a reason." Aqualad got us back on track, getting my hopes up for a mission.

"Yeah, a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette." Red Arrow said gruffly. Robin and I immediately looked to each other in shock. We knew who this woman was, even met her at a presentation at Wayne Tech.

"Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert At royal university in star city!" robin got excited as he used his holocomputer to pull up the majority of her files and display them at a much larger scare for everyone else.

"Vanished two weeks ago." I said darkly, looking at the police report.

"Abducted two weeks ago by the League of Shadows." Red Arrow corrected. After these last few moments, I realized he was just as serious and angry as he was the last time I saw him at the Hall of Justice.

"Whoa. You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?" Robin asked, but I just rolled my eyes.

"Hard-core." Wally and Rob fist bumped each other, but Row walked closer to the holocomputer to display something.

"I already rescued her." He lifted a device as it uploaded the information he brought with him. "Only one problem. The shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon. Doc calls it the fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path, concrete, steel, flesh, bone." He explained as we all looked at the diagrams and models of the nanotech. "But its true purpose isn't mere destruction. It's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech." He finished. Artemis looked up at the ceiling like she was thinking.

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking." She counted off on her fingers. "Yeah. Sounds like the Shadows." She just looked back gravely, like there was an underlying meaning to the tone of her voice. Wally was just getting angrier with her, his hands on her hips.

"Like you know anything about the Shadows."Wally smirked, thinking she was lying, but she just gave him the snide look. "Who are you?!" He raised his voice, whipping his arms behind him as he struggled to figure this girl out.

"Keep going the way you're going and he might pop a vessel." I smirked and I stood next to Artemis. She was the kind of person I wanted in battle with me. She was quick and knew how to use it to get under people's skins as a tactic. Red Arrow just glared at me, continuing his briefing for us.

"Roquette's working on a virus to render the fog inert." He spoke harshly, hoping we were understanding him so far, the blonde archer already putting him on edge.

"But if the Shadows know she can do that…" Robin was pulling on more puzzle pieces as he always did. He was always the detective side of Batman, while I was the fear and the Attack dog… well in my case, cat.

"They'll target her. Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab." Red explained, showing an image of Happy Harbor High School where M'gann and Superboy were going to attend in just a few weeks.

"You left her alone?" Not realizing that he was making the former protege seem incompetent.

"She's safe enough for now." Red snapped, his inner fiery ginger bleeding through in his speech.

"Then let's you and I keep her that way." Green Arrow was trying so hard to get Red back on track, but I was starting to think that Roy was doing just fine on his own, single handedly rescuing Roquette from the League of Shadows.

"You and I? Don't you wanna take your new protege?" Red just looked at the Blonde girl with disdain.

"You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too." Green Arrow defended, Batman finally stepping in and putting a hand on G.A.'s shoulder, giving him one look that said it all: _Back down_. Green Arrow just took a step back, looking at his former protege.

"Then my job's done." He just walked away, leaving us with a mission in our laps.

 **Recognized:**

 _Speedy-_

"That's Red Arrow B07. Update." He interrupted the computer before it teleported him away. Wally just glared at Artemis, but she held her ground.

* * *

 **Happy Harbor High School**

I felt a wave roll through my mind like in Santa Prisca. We were all in the school, everyone in the lab with Roquette minus Miss Martian, Superboy and I. The three of us were on the roof, keeping an eye out for Shadows.

 _Everyone online?_ I heard M'gann in my mind. Superboy and I looked to her and nodded.

"Ohh. This is weird." I head Artemis say. It was odd not being in the same room with the people I was listening to.

 _And distracting._ Roquette commented. _Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer With less ram than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen-think in my skull?_ Her complaining wasn't helping us at all either.

 _Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?_ Kid Flash genuinely asked, but it was just the wrong time to mentally open up his big mouth.

 _Pot, kettle. Have you met?_ Artemis mocked him, finally irritating me as well.

 _Hey, hey, I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the Team._ Wally snapped at her, and he wasn't even correct.

 _That is so not on me._ Artemis raised her voice as I took a big whiff of the air around me, checking for foreign bodies.

Fate of the world at stake. Dr. Roquette was losing focus.

 _Now, now children, let's try to get along, shall we?_ I chided them with sarchasm.

 _She started it._ Kid tried to defend himself, but I just sighed, leaping off the roof to sweep the perimeter. Miss Martian and Superboy followed suit.

 _How 'bout I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter._ Artemis backed down, aggravated with Kid Mouth.

 _Good idea._ Aqualad agreed, ready for the squabbling to end.

 _You might cut her some slack. It was her arrow saved your butt against Amazo._ Robin finally told KF.

 _That's actually true._ I laughed into the link.

 _What? No, that was Speedy's... I mean Red Arrow's arrow, right?_ Kid was desperate to believe his own truth.

 _Not so much._ Robin shut down the misguided belief.

 _I mean the arrow was green._ I reminded him, walking to the door to greet Artemis.

 _Well, still not giving her the satisfaction._ Kid was forgetting that everyone on the Team was in the psychic link.

 _You know I can still hear you._ Artemis reminded him as she made her way to us outside.

 _I couldn't get the Justice League._ Roquette complained once again. I kept getting set off by the sounds of animals. I was much more used to an urban setting.

 _The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?_ Aqualad asked with a hint of hope to stopping it.

 _My utility fog is not a weapon. It's science, brilliant science, And of course I can track it, but I'd have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'assassinate me' written in neon._ She wasn't to keen on putting herself in danger. But if she was safe anywhere, it was here.

 _We will protect you._ Aqualad promised in a serious tone.

 _Tracking the fog now._ She suddenly said into the link. Superboy and I both whipped our heads around to the sound of birds taking off. I stayed as he jumped up onto the building, landing over by the opening in the fence guarded by M'gann and Artemis.

 _Mmm… That boy._ I heard come from the new archer. I physically cringed.

 _Oh my god you didn't just…_ I face palmed before getting back to my patrol.

 _He can hear you._ M'gann snapped. _We can all hear you._ She was very defensive of Superboy, but he was a little too thick skulled to realize it.

 _Oh, I know._ Artemis seemed to be enjoying herself too much to care.

 _Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the fog. Reconfigure the Bioship so that Robin and Superboy can pursue._ Aqualad ordered as I finally caught a scent.

 _Ready._ M'gann prepared the Bioship. The second I heard it take off, I used the noise to cover the sound of my jumping over the fence. I leapt into a tree and swung from branch to branch, balancing my weight and palming the bark to ensure I didn't make a sound, not even rustle the leaves. I was getting closer and closer to the scent.

 _You embarrassed Superboy._ M'gann said as I was trying to focus, the source I was tracking kept moving.

 _Didn't hear him say that._ Artemis was completely nonchalant

 _Must you challenge everyone?_ M'gann no longer seemed angry, so much as curious to the archer's behavior.

Where I come from, that's how you survive. Artemis replied as I growled into the link.

 _Will you two shut up for a second? I'm tracking someone._ I snarled, aggravated that they were now the two arguing. _Heading into the school._ I reported, making my way through the hallways of the massive high school. The scent detoured to the pool but came back out again and continued toward Roquette and the others. I was just about to get to them, but I realized There was another scent leading into the pool but didn't come back. It was Wally's. I sprinted back as fast as I could.

 _M'gann, Kid, Wildcat, Artemis. We are under attack in the computer lab._ Aqualad said into the link. But I ignored him, finding Wally face down, floating in the pool.

 _On our way._ M'gann replied as I dove in, swimming for Kid before dragging him out of the water. My uniform was soaked as I sloshed down to him. I put my ear to his mouth and couldn't hear him breathing. There was a heartbeat, but it was slowing. My training took over as I put my hands on his chest, pumping as his lips were turning blue.

"One, two, three…" I counted before going down to give him air. My lips connected with his as I huffed air into his water damaged lungs. I started pumping again, giving him air every three pumps. "Come on Wally," I was becoming less and less optimistic, my eyes watering. But finally, after I puffed air into his mouth once again, his body shuttered as shot up, allowing him to sputtered water out of his mouth. "You're alive." I breathed, leaning back onto my hands.

"Did… you just... give me mouth to mouth?" He asked as he caught his breath, a small smirk growing on his face. I just rolled my eyes.

"Oh shut up." I said, helping him up before we ran off to Roquette and the others. The assassin threw a smoke bomb the second we arrived, I dove straight through, my claws out. I made contact before the smoke cleared.

"Gone." Kid Flash said

"She's getting away! You're letting her get away!" Dr. Roquette was freaking out, but Aqualad just looked at her like he _really_ wanted her to realize what we were doing for her.

"This is all your fault! You were on perimeter! How'd that Shadow get in?!" Kid Flash yelled at Artemis, but I stepped in between the two of them.

"KF, it's my fault. I was tracking the shadow, I doubled back and went to help you instead. Or I could have left you to drown in that pool and fought an assassin that still could have escaped." I said, immediately calming him down.

"Oh, yeah, thanks." He started to blush, looking at the floor as his embarrassment got the better of him.

"Focus, everyone. The shadows will be back." Aqualad ordered, keeping close to the Doctor.

"Robin to Aqualad. We're over Philadelphia. We've located the shadows' next target, Star Labs. We're too late. It's destroyed, totally destroyed. The fog decimated it. This is bad. Star Labs is cutting-edge science, and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy. What's our next move?" Robin asked with a shocked and angry tone.

"Rescan for that fog. Find it. We're moving the Doctor." Aqualad ordered. Everyone packed up and we got moving.

* * *

 _Stop it, both of you._ Aqualad said from outside.

 _What?_ Artemis and Kid asked at nearly the exact same time.

 _I can hear you glaring._ Aqualad said before he commenced with his part of the plan. Out of nowhere, the doors burst open and an assassin I recognized and Black Spider swung in. I leapt forward and mimicked his stance. Before I could attack, he jumped to the ceiling. Kid Flash threw a metal garbage can as the Shadow dropped. I got close enough and engaged him in hand to hand combat.

"Don't stop working." Artemis ordered the fake Roquette as Kid and I fought Spider. She was firing arrows and some weird shadow with a retractable hook. I noticed the female shadow fire a mini crossbow, but a bookcase blocked the shot.

"Martian's here. It's now or never." The woman ordered. I left Kid with Spider to attack the female.

"Ready for more?" I asked, ejecting my claws and preparing to attack. I lunged, attempting to swipe at the pre-existing gashed I gave her before. But she threw a shuriken after shuriken at me, the same kind she knocked out Aqualad with at the school. I thought I dodged them all when I went to grab her, but she tackled me. She grabbed my jaw and jammed a shuriken into the only unprotected area of my costume. She threw my near limp body to the floor as my vision grew dark.

"We've been duped!" Is the last thing I heard the woman say as she realized that the Roquette here was Miss Martian. Everything faded to black. I started coming to after someone tripped over me.

"I got mine!" I heard M'gann celebrating.

"Great. Uh, little help?" Wally said. I just barely was able to move my head, seeing him tied up on the red webbing of Black Spider, who was passed out on the floor. I watched as M'gann freed Kid Flash.

"Hey, where'd Wildcat go?" I heard M'gann ask Kid. I could barely move and my vision was blurry. I couldn't feel my mouth.

"Over… here…" I said, the majority of my body behind the desk. Kid and M'gann rushed over to me and helped me up. KF just started laughing.

"You're drooling." He said, M'gann whipping the saliva and blood off my face.

"Never speak… of this… to anyone…" I said coldly and He scooped me up into his arms and ran for Aqualad and Roquette, Miss Martian tailing behind us. I was so numb that I couldn't feel his arms on my back and legs.

"Artemis, where's the assassin?" I heard Aqualad ask, Roquette supporting him. The assassin must have gotten him aswell, but I was faring much worse than he was.

"She, uh… she got away." Artemis sighed, looking like she'd seen a ghost.

"Oh, from you? Oh, big surprise. Notice we got ours." Kid said as M'gann hovered over head with Black Spider and Hook in her telekinetic grasp. "Cool. Souvenir." Kid celebrated as he managed to bend down and grab the assassin's mask and setting it on my stomach as I fought to keep my mouth closed.

"Her mask? Did you see her, her face?" Aqualad asked as he pulled the darts out of his stomach. He was already walking on his own.

"It was dark." Artemis turned her back to everyone, suddenly sounding not so big and bad anymore.

"It is fine. Robin and Superboy neutralized the fog, and Dr. Roquette is safe. Thanks in no small part to you. Welcome to the team." She turned back around and smiled. Aqualad shook her hand.

"I've always wanted a sister. Here on Earth, I mean. I have 12 back on Mars, but trust me, it's not the same." M'gann smiled putting a hand on Artemis's shoulder.

"I... wouldn't know. But thanks." Artemis smiled as she lied. I heard her heart beat falter, but I just let it go. She probably has a good reason.

"Ow. Yeah. Welcome." Wally said as M'gann elbowed him.

"I'd shake... you're hand... or something but…" I said with a crookedly numb smile as I began to feel a sensation in my cheeks and fingers, making the Team laugh a bit. We all waited together, waiting for the proper authorities to take Hook and Black Spider into custody. After a while, Kid took me back to the Medical Bay in the mountain, having Red Tornado aid in filtering the toxin out of my bloodstream with a series of IV fluids. Once it was all over and I could stand, I pulled off my cowl, stretching out my stiff muscles. Wally went to walk out of the room, but stopped in the door.

"Thanks, you know, for saving me." He went to leave but I spoke up.

"I'd do it again if I had to." He turned around and faced me in the doorway. Neither of us had anything to say, well, anything we knew how to say. We just stood there, locked in eye contact, green meeting green. Nothing changed, no smiled or irritated demeanors, we just stood there, completely serene.

* * *

 **Author's note: Hi! I know I keep leaving these at the ends of chapters, but if you've made it this far, please _review_! It would really help to hear some feedback. **


	9. Downtime

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham City**

 **August 27th, 2010**

I was trying to figure out a better tactic to take down clayface as he pummeled Aqualad and sent him flying into the back wall. I was covered in clay as I hid in the shadows. The rest of the team was already incapacitated, and now was a good a time as any. Before Clayface could finish Aqualad off, I charged four Electrostatic Field grenades, two in each hand, before vaulting from the rafter in the ceiling of the warehouse. I threw two at his legs before landing on him, taking a deep breath before allowing the oozing clay to absorb me as Clayface bellowed in his laughter. But it was too late, my grenades exploding with electricity. I only felt the pain of electrocution for a moment as I was expelled from the thick mess of clay, completely covered in it. The second I hit the ground, Batman smashed through the window, ready to intervene, but I had already finished the job. I looked up to him, his silhouette illuminated by the low light of the skyline outside the windows.

"How's that for last minute poetic justice?" I asked, sitting on the ground as I panted, my lungs burned for air. But Batman just looked at me before glancing around at the rest of the room. Aqualad was on the ground nearest the puddle of clay, still conscious. But Superboy, Miss Martian, Robin and Kid Flash were unconscious, sprawled out on the floor, spattered with clay. He waited as I got the other four to wake up. Just like that, we made sure the police removed the puddle that was Clayface, and made our way to the Gotham designated Zeta Tube. As we all arrived following Batman, he finally spoke.

"I need to talk to Aqualad. The rest of you, hit the showers and head home." Batman said as we all made our walk of shame. The mission was successful, but only after everyone was taken down and I had used deceit to bring the clay monster down.

"Head home? I am home." Superboy grumbled as he walked past the Dark Knight. Robin and I approached, expecting to be welcomed as he was our mentor. But tonight, this wasn't the case.

"Just Aqualad." Batman spoke a little less harshly, but it still stung like ripping off a bandaid. Robin looked to me with a frown before the two of us walked to our respective gender locker rooms. I carefully avoided eye contact with M'gann as I stepped into the water, letting it wash the clay off my uniform. It was moments like these that I enjoyed having a waterproof suit, the clay just washing away swirling around the drain. But I still had to pull off my cowl to get the clay out of my long, black hair. It barely came out of it's braid as it was matted and caked with clay. I brushed through my hair with my fingers, washing out the clay. When I was finished, I moved to the mirror, supporting myself on the mirror. With a sigh, I just looked at myself in the mirror, M'gann passing behind me. just put my sopping wet hair into a bun and pulled my sunglasses out of my utility belt. I just put them on and walked out, making my way to the Zeta Tube.

"Hey, Wildcat!" I heard Wally, so I turned around, tired from the extraneous mission. He was all cleaned up and as chipper than ever. I looked up at his fiery red hair, always looking windblown.

"So, I've been gone the past week or so and heard that you go yourself into a bit of trouble at the _Tower of Fate_." I finally brought it up to him, not really sure what I was going to here. The helmet was here in the Cave, but Wally was on the roof of the tower when Nelson died. His smile didn't even waver as I spoke to him.

"Ended up putting on the helmet, was bio-scripted into Dr. Fate, no biggie." He shrugged, all nonchalant. But I saw something behind his green eyes. For once, they didn't seem as bright and vibrant as they usually were, but they were tired and worn.

"You sure?" I asked, my body involuntarily stepping closer to him. He just sighed and lessened his smile, no longer flashing his white teeth. .

"Yeah, I'm fine." He promised, but I heard his heart beat falter. I knew he was lying, but I didn't want to overstep any boundaries.

"Alright, so you got any plans later?" I asked him, genuinely curious. I was tempted to tell him he was welcome at our place, sure that Robin would enjoy hanging out with his best friend.

"I have Jay Garrick's birthday dinner with Joan, Barry, Iris, and my parents. I'd invite you…" He trailed off, knowing I knew what he meant. It was quite literally the downfall of being the daughter of one the wealthiest humanitarians on the planet.

"Iris would put two and two together as a news reporter. Got it. Can't break Batman's rules." I sighed, giving him a half smirk. "I appreciate the thought though." I finished the sentence with a bit of a yawn.

"But Sylvie," He used the nickname quietly since no one else was around. "Dick invited me over this weekend, so… I'll see you then." He smirked, the awkwardness disappearing from the two of us.

"Okay." I said with a smile, the two of us just standing there for a moment before I turned around and went through the Zeta Tube with the programmed destination of the Batcave. I just shed my uniform, pulling on a tank top and spandex, layering a pair of sweatpants over top. I just walked over to the express elevator and went up, not saying a word to my father who was sitting at his desk, reviewing footage from the mission.

I just grabbed a snack and a bottle of water from the kitchen before heading to the gym where I found Dick stretching out. I joined him, working out the kinks in my muscles before going to the weight station, pushing my limit of two hundred and ninety pounds at the bench press. Dick joined and started lifting, trying to push himself more than usual in my presence, trying to break his record of one hundred and sixty. But it wasn't necessarily a fair playing field since I had enhanced physical attributes from my time underground.

Dick was silent as the two of us trained, angry about before, and the more I worked, the angrier I became as well. I put my weights back after a while and moved to the salmon ladder, using only my upper body strength to propel myself upward to each notch, taking myself higher and higher until I reversed the process to bring myself back down. I decided to just hop off and get into the leg press, pushing my limits once again. I kept going higher and higher with the weight until I had to stop at three hundred and forty pounds. I got up, stretching out before taking everything out on the weighted punching bags. I was furious, but I tried to focus on my training, reminding myself that it was an advantage to be this strong while still having as small a frame as I did. I noticed Dick moved to the rings, keeping up on his acrobatic skills. He had been pushing himself harder and harder since we got back from the mission.

"Yeah, just _Aqualad_." Dick growled as he held himself aloft in a plank before swinging back for a dismount, trying to land atop on of his platforms, but he fell back, somersaulting and hitting his back on the wall. He was so angry that he punched the surface, leaving a surprisingly defined impression. I stepped away from the punching bag, moving over to Dick and tossing him a towel and a water bottle, knowing he didn't want to talk. The two of us were resting on a bench when Alfred entered, clearing his throat to get our attention.

"Master Bruce wishes to see the two of you." He informed, his british accent rolling through the sentence. Dick and I shared a look before standing up and following Alfred through the manor. We found ourselves outside at the sport court, the various lines of different sports painted on the ground in different colors. Our father standing before us in a tanktop and shorts, a basketball under his arm.

"What's this?" Dick asked, glaring at Batman. He was obviously angrier than I was.

"Training," He paused, bouncing the ball to Dick. "Hand-eye coordination." He smirked, looking between the two of us.

"Two on one?" I asked, jokingly questioning his sanity.

"If you think you can handle it." He was smiling, unlike his usual brooding expression. Robin just laughed as I ran past my Dad, Dick passing me the ball with precision.

"Yes!" My little brother replied, getting to the far right of the three point line, setting up for me to pass to him as my dad tried to blocked me. We played for a while before I decided to head in, allowing them to mess around with a one on one game. I just went to the kitchen and started making Dick's favorite food to keep his mood up. Judging from the smell, Alfred came by and checked on me.

"Waffles? You clean your own room, you cook and clean up your dishes when you're done. I swear you are every servant's dream teenager." Alfred, smiled, watching me mix the batter as the iron warmed up. I just laughed.

"Well, Alfred, you're more family than a servant to me." I smiled, continuing to cook for my little brother, adding chocolate chips to the mix. I just kept going, making waffles for everyone as a sweet treat to keep the mood up. Things were always better when everyone was happy. I had already made a sizeable stack of waffles by the time Bruce and Dick came in from outside, drenched in sweat. Dick was extremely excited by the pile of waffles.

"I knew I smelled waffles!" He exclaimed as he grabbed a plate and served himself, drawing the waffles in syrup and whipped cream. My dad came over and kissed me on the forehead, silently thanking me for helping out with Dick. I've always been the buffer when the two of them didn't see eye to eye, even before I knew they were Batman and Robin. So there we were, sitting at the table as a family, chatting and laughing about things not involving missions or hero work.

After we were all long finished and the yawning became more and more contagious, we each turned in, returning to our bedrooms. The royal blue walls of my bedroom made the night seem even darker. I went into my bathroom, finally taking a real shower, scrubbing away the grime and sweat remaining from the mission and today's training. When I finished, I simply slipped on pajamas, wrung out my wet hair, and crawled into bed. In the silence, I tried my best clear my head, but at night was when my mind took over itself, remembering pain and suffering of the past. But it ended as all things do, allowing me to drift away, slowly, then all at once.

* * *

 **The Cave**

 **September 3rd, 2010**

The Team was congregated in the kitchen, everyone hanging around in their uniforms as we all snacked on sandwiches that M'gann whipped up almost instantly with her telekinesis. Everyone was relaxed, enjoying the end of our day of training. I was once again ignoring Wally as he relentlessly tried to woo M'gann, but there was tension between her and Superboy. Things must finally being moving along between the two of them, despite the slow pace.

"Team, report for mission briefing." We all heard Batman's gruff voice over the loudspeaker. Everyone took their last bites of their sandwiches before exiting the kitchen and doing as instructed. What we found was Aqualad and Batman in front of the holocomputer. We all surrounded him, keeping close attention as we always did. "The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan Desert." He began, showing us diagrams and maps of desert as well as the readings from the power surge.

* * *

 **Author's note: Apologies for the first chapter, but I finally got a little bit into Sylvia's home life. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story and would love it if people would please review!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	10. Bereft

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Bialyan Desert**

 **September 4th, 2010**

I awoke to someone poking me as the surface I was laying on shook. My body felt like it was burning, my muscles screaming for water. Everything felt muddled, like there was fog in my mind, blocking my memories. The last time I felt like that, I woke up in a freezer at an underground lab. I immediately went on edge, ejecting my claws. My eyes flipped open as I pounced upon the person, a snarl escaping my lips. I was looking down at someone in a military uniform, and I was surrounded.

Those were Bialyan Republican Army uniforms, and I was in their desert. I heard multiple guns lock and load as I pressed my claws into the man's neck. He looked at me in fear, but I immediately pulled a flash grenade out of my utility belt and threw it on the ground. Everyone in the vicinity was incapacitated at the moment as I chucked a smoke bomb for good measure, slipping away from the Military sight as I reached for my radio to contact Batman. But something stopped me.

 _Maintain radio silence at all times._ I heard the familiar commanding voice in the back of my mind. I just kept moving, pulling my holocomputer out to track Robin's, knowing that if I was here, he probably was too. He was just a few hundred feet away. I sprinted as fact as I could, making my way to my little brother. As I ran, I realized that my costume was different. The slash marks were gold instead of red and my hair wasn't down, it was up in a high ponytail braid as it flowed out of a cowl with bat ears that replaced my domino mask. As weird as it seemed, I rolled with it, sort of enjoying the new look as I ran.

Out of nowhere, some drones began firing at me, but I managed to be on the other side of the sand dune when something happened, the two drones colliding in a fiery explosion. I kept running, tracking my brother. It was proving difficult as he wouldn't stop moving. But I kept moving, even as the sun set. I felt better now that I had the night to keep me hidden from those stupid soldiers. Bialya was supposed to be a hostile state, a dictatorship run by Queen Bee.

The closer I got to Robin, the closer I got to something else. I had left a GPS marker on a specific location, and Rob was closing in on it. I pushed myself to run faster, trying to get to my brother. It was easier for a moment once he finally stopped, I found him crouched behind a small dune, looking over at a large hunk of tech. I slipped over and crouched next to him.

"Guessing that's why." He said quietly, looking over at the device. He looked to me and nodded. We shared a moment and figured on a plan based on a series of looks. The two of us moved over to the thing to get a better look, but Bialyan soldiers rose out of the sand, their leader saying something in Arabic that I understood as

"Her Majesty wants them alive!" He said as they moved in. But Robin and I shared another look, both of us dropping smoke bombs. We attacked the soldiers simultaneously as they hacked and coughed in the smoke. I just caught a small glimpse of Robin attacking a soldier, a smug look on his face. The two of us threw batarangs at the soldiers, disarming them the best we could. Rob leapt onto one of the soldier's shoulders and twisted, using his momentum to kick two others. I simply grabbed one and swung him in a circle by his arm, knocking out four more in addition to my human mace.

"Enough! Open fire!" My mind automatically translated the arabic as the three remaining soldiers shot at us. But out of nowhere, there was a black and red blur running between the soldiers, taking their guns.

"I'll hold that." I heard a familiar voice say. "Thanks!" He finally stopped, smiling as he resumed the fight, using himself as a human cannonball, attacking soldiers with Robin and I. Two were about to fire at Robin before he had a chance to turn around.

"Robin!" I yelled, but a mysterious force knocked the men back just as a soldier punched me in the lower back. I just spun around, kicking high into the air as my boot connected with the man's skull. I turned back around in time to see a green girl that resembled Martian Manhunter in uniform appeared out of camouflage mode. I grabbed one soldier and flipped him into another just as the speedster had a similar idea, spinning and throwing one into three more. Another ran at me, but a green arrow flew past, exploding into a set of bolas, tying up the rogue soldier. Everyone looked up to the top of the dune to see a blonde girl with a bow, her uniform referencing the Green Arrow, which confused me because I thought he only had a protege named Speedy. -

"KF!" Robin exclaimed as I sprinted for the speedster, involuntarily tackling him in a hug. "Man, it's good to see a familiar face." Robin said quickly.

"Hey, Rob and glad to see you too." Kid looked down at me with a huge smile as I let go, happy that it wasn't just Robin and I alone in the desert without Batman. "Memory loss?" He asked for confirmation and I nodded.

"Six months." Robin replied angrily. "Let's hogtie these creeps and compare notes." Rob said as the blonde and I met eye contact. She seemed annoyed with me for hugging KF, but I'd never heard of her, so I was sure she hasn't known Wally for very long. The martian girl held the men together with her telekinesis as I handed Kid some rope, him running around them in circles, securing them with ease. I took the two ends of the robe and tied them in one of the most secure knots I knew before joining the others. We all quickly ran through names for each other as the green girl brought up what she could remember.

"So we're a team?" I asked in disbelief. Wally standing with his arm resting on my shoulders as we usually did. The two of us and Robin were best friends, but Artemis wasn't taking it very lightly.

"The five of us and Superboy." M'gann reminded us of the Kryptonian from her memories.

"Then this must be his." Robin figures as he pulled out a shred of black fabric with a red Superman logo.

"Yes! Did you see him?" M'gann asked as she now examined the fabric.

"I think we did." Artemis said in a confused tone as Wally rubbed his chin.

"Feral boy? Some teammate, he attacked us." He stated, annoyed with the idea of someone like that on a team with him.

"He didn't know who we are." I said, trying to see why Superboy would just attack them.

"I don't know who we are." Artemis added, her expression like a deer in headlights.

"I remember Batman ordering radio silence." I said suddenly.

"So do I, our team must work for him." Robin put it together as he always does, the little junior detective always knew how to work a case faster than me, always pleasing Batman.

"How do you know we don't work for my mentor?" Wally said as he jammed his thumb to his chest as a gesture, but he must have activated something, because his suit finally switched to the familiar yellow and red. "Whoa. This is so cool!" He commented as he kept poking it, everyone one else besides Miss Martian tapping their icons to see if they changed colors.

"We look ridiculous." Artemis finally said as Wally kept poking his logo.

"Quit touching yourself!" I snapped at him, finally forcing him to return to the black suit.

"We need our memories back!" Artemis shouted, looking at the bigger picture. I was beginning to like her. I watched as M'gann put her hands to her head, her eyes glowing white. Suddenly, we were surrounded by shattered fragments of memories. All of us looked extremely confused. But M'gann appeared in a flash of white light, her hood up and her demeanor giving away how nervous she was.

"I brought you into my mind To share what I've remembered so far. But I need your help. Together, Our broken memories can form a whole… _if_ you open your minds to mine." She explained, slowly losing her demeanor.

"You want to paw through our private thoughts?" Artemis snapped, crossing her arms. She was oddly a bit more defensive that the others about M'gann entering inside her own head.

"I have no wish to intrude, but…" M'gann didn't really know what words to use. Luckily our Boy Wonder knew exactly how to say it.

"We need to hack our minds to grok what happened to us. Got it. Go." Robin welcomed her, getting how important it was to understand.

"My brain's all yours. Try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you." Wally said, with a smirk, but I just elbowed him.

"Or underwhelm you." I snorted, Artemis laughing.

"Hey, why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" Robin asked, us, his hands on his hips. Oddly enough, I found the statement annoying. Artemis on the other hand looked nervous. But she got over herself quickly.

"Last 6 months only, and only what you need." Artemis ordered M'gann as Wally put his arm around me, like he was trying to protect me. M'gann closed her eyes as four glowing blue hands emerged from her, taking hold of each of our heads. My eyes falling shut. I suddenly saw my father in his Batman costume, standing before a holocomputer like the one in the Batcave. Things began flooding my mind, Cadmus, Mister Twister, Santa Prisca, everything. But what I watched was the memory of the mission briefing.

"The watchtower detected an immense power surge in the bialyan desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site, what landed there." Batman said before the map disappeared and a photo of a beautiful but dangerous woman took its place. "Bialya is a rogue state ruled by Queen Bee, And not a member of the League's U.N. Charter. All communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times." He ordered as the scene shifted to the Bialyan Desert. You'll land in Kourak on Bialyas' border, two clicks from the hot zone." He faded out as I heard Robin.

"All clear." He reported as we all exited the bioship, superboy carrying our massive computer that will aid in tracking and deciphering the power surge.

"The Bialyans control the site." Artemis whispered as she, Robin and I did quick recon of their base.

"Set up here." Aqualad said as Superboy dropped the device into the sand.

"We'll be up and running in no time." Robin said as he activated the machine.

"Jackpot! The site's lousy with zeta beam radiation." Kid Flash smirked as he read the readings on the device.

"Detecting non-terrestrial trace elements from the tent." I said as I read the screen over Robin's shoulder.

"I'll check it out in camouflage mode." M'gann said as she disappeared.

"Good idea. Go." Aqualad accepted the plan.

"Careful." Superboy said to her as Aqualad approached.

"And maintain telepathic contact." Our fearless leader reminded her.

"I will, Aqualad." M'gann promised, the name ringing in our ears. M'gann took a sharp breath.

"Aqualad!" We all said, realizing we had all forgotten about him all this time.

"Where is he? What happened next?" Robin asked with urgency.

"I don't know! That's the last thing I… _we_ remember." M'gann said as my body went rigid. Wally's arm was still around me. I looked up at him, thinking he was going to let go, but the hold just loosened.

"We landed 24 hours ago. If Kaldur'ahm's been wandering the desert that long, well, that's not good for a guy with gills." He reminded us all of Kaldur's heat sensitive atlantean physiology.

"Now that I know to look for him…" Robin said as he checked his holocomputer for Kaldur's GPS marker. "He's close! But he's not moving." Robin said as we all bolted, running for Aqualad. when we found him, he was just mumbling things in Atlantean.

"I can't restore his memories in this condition." M'gann said as she lifted Aqualad's head from the ground.

"He needs immediate rehydration. Call the bioship." I told her, knowing that Kaldur could die if he went on like this for much longer.

"It's out of range, but you can get him there fast." M'gann said, looking to Wally, but he shook his head, his hand just barely brushing mine.

"He's too heavy, and I'm too low on fuel. Right now, I couldn't even carry her." Wally gestured to me, but I just elbowed him in the ribs.

"Why not just levitate him back?" Artemis asked the obvious question that we were all wondering. Our leader was dying.

"I can't. I have to find Superboy." M'gann told us as she stood up. Six months ago, he didn't exist. He has no memories, just animal impulse. I'm the only one who can help him." Her judgement was being clouded by her feelings for the Kryptonian.

"Superboy's indestructible. Just ask those tanks. It's Aqualad who needs your help. Like, now." Wally tried to convince her, but she flew off in a rush.

"No! Superboy's in pain!" She yelled as she flew away.

"M'gann! Wait!" Artemis tried to stop her.

"We still don't know what erased our memories! It could happen again!" Robin said loudly, trying to get her to stop, but she pushed on, leaving us with an unconscious Aqualad.

"How are we going to get him to the Bioship now?" Artemis asked but I just cracked my knuckles, shoulders and back.

"Well, let's see how much he weighs." I said, doing my best to lift Kaldur up and put him over my shoulder, hanging onto his legs.

"You're small, how are you carrying him?" Wally asked, even Artemis was confused, but Robin and I both shared a smirk.

"You people forget I was a lab rat some time ago. Strength was apart of my enhancement. It's not much but it sure helps in a fight." I tell them all with a smile, taking a deep breath and walking forward, adjusting my strides in the sand to account for Aqualad's added weight. After a while, the sound of a truck forced us to hide.

"Quick, over there." Robin whispered as we all ran behind a rock. I set Aqualad down for a moment to take a break. He suddenly began speaking in Atlantean again as the soldiers on foot passed us.

"Shh. Kaldur'ahm, quiet now." Artemis whispered, trying to keep us from getting caught because of him.

"We can't risk a firefight with Aqualad K. like this." Robin said before slipping away from us.

"It's not just him. I'm way out of juice." Kid was growing more and more tired.

"And I'm almost out of arrows." Artemis said, checking her quiver. They finally realized Rob was gone. KF groaned quietly.

"I forgot how much I hate it when he does the ninja thing." Kid whispered, looking around for Rob. "Hey, you never said why your dad would want you to ktttk! me." Kid said as he drew a finger across his neck, looking to Artemis as she went rigid. I was starting to think I needed to do some detective work on this chick.

"I… uh… got confused by some old movie I saw the other night. About a ninja girl whose ninja dad ordered her to kill her ninja boyfriend 'cause he was from a rival ninja clan." Artemis tried to clear things up.

"So, I'm your ninja boyfriend, huh?" Kid asked, mocking her. I elbowed him in the side.

"Not you, someone else. Like I said, I was confused." She looked at the ground, the anger and worry showing in her face as she looked at Aqualad's unconscious expression. Robin returned, making Kid jump.

"Dude, where were you?" He asked, but Rob just smirked. I was beginning to realize what he did, becoming more and more amused with my little brother.

"Breaking radio silence." He smiled, looking back over the rock to watch his handiwork. I looked as well, finding that he pre-recorded his laugh to draw the soldiers over to three of his smoke bombs. The second they went off, I picked up Aqualad again.

"That's our cue. Move!" Robin ordered. I did my best to run, keeping up with the others with the Atlantean on my shoulder. After I while, I was getting tired. But I kept pushing on until we made it over the border into Qurac, where the Bioship was landed. I set Aqualad down on a bed that appeared the second we stepped aboard. The second I let go of him, the need to keep pushing on disappeared. I stumbled back, nearly falling over, but Wally caught me, setting me down on the floor as I crumbled into exhaustion. After a while of my eyes drifting open and closed,

 _I've got Superboy. He's back to normal, and we're on our way._ I heard M'gann in my mind, shocking me awake. Aqualad shot up, coughing.

"Who are you, and how did you get inside my head?" He asked into the air, looking for the source of the incursion.

"Hello, Megan. Aqualad's memories! I knew I forgot something." M'gann said into the newly created link as she and Superboy closed in.

"Aw, man. Me, too. I didn't get a souvenir from the mission." Wally seemed slightly upset, as I looked over to see Artemis trying her best to keep Aqualad on the table as the IV fluids dripped into his arm.

 _Don't worry. Got the souvenir thing covered._ I heard M'gann say in my mind. Wally walked back over to me, deciding to get me off the floor and into a chair, the Bioship automatically strapping me in. I was drifting asleep again as I saw M'gann and Superboy board the ship with a massive sphere that kept moving around and making these beeping sounds like it was communicating. I though the exhaustion was finally getting to me and I was hallucinating. Especially when I weakly glanced down to me hand, seeing Wally squeeze it gently just before letting go to sit in the chair next to me, watching as my eyes finally drifted closed, falling asleep from the all consuming fatigue.

* * *

 **Author's note: I hope everyone's enjoying the story! Please review! It would be extremely helpful:)**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	11. Mothers

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **gotham City**

 **September 10th, 2010**

I was on patrol with Robin, unable to stop thinking about what happened on the Bioship in Bialya. Even amidst my crime fighting, it was there in the back of my mind. I haven't seen him since, with Batman putting Robin and I on patrol as well as school starting for the two of us. But I did my best as the two of us went galavanting through the streets, stopping petty crimes and keeping an eye out for the big stuff. With high profile criminals, we had to contact Batman. Tonight was just that kind of night. What caught my attention, was a jewelry store heist and a hostage situation crossing my ear from the police scanner. Robin and I just smiled.

"You take the jewelry store and I'll take Batman to the hostage situation?" Robin looked to me, ready to bolt. I nodded and we separated, each diving off the building, using our grappe guns to swing onto the lower roof tops. I flawlessly leapt from roof top to rooftop, high and low to make it to the Jewelry store in the diamond district. The free run build up my adrenaline for the incursion I was about to cause in some idiot's robbery.

I slipped into the jewelry store without the thieves noticing. From behind an empty case, I examined the situation. There were two women filling backpacks with gems and jewelry. Actually, I was surprised to see the two females robbing a bank together. I mean, sure, one was just doing it because she just wanted something pretty or give something to her Mr. Jay, but the other, she usually worked alone and stole for her own benefit, as well as the girls she usually hung around with. I just pulled a set of electric bolas out of my utility belt and stood up from behind the counter, standing off with the two women.

"Aw, look at the little bat brat. Does the kitty cat think she can win this fight on her own?" Harley Quinn mocked me in a baby voice, draping her bag of loot over her shoulder, smiling at the jingling sound it made. Catwoman, on the other hand, just looked at me with interest, securing her bag to her back, like she knew she was done stealing from the store. She may be a neutral player, only caring for herself, but she was still breaking the law, and I was the enforcer tonight.

"Actually, this kitty cat is gonna kick your ass." I smirked, charging the bolas and chucking them at her, managing to get it to wrap around Harley's wrist and attach it to the shattered rim of the display case. The electricity knocked her out for the time being as I handcuffed her before pouncing at Catwoman, my claws out and ready. She seemed shocked when I out moved her and kicked her into a wall with brute force. But she just started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I said through my teeth as I angrily slashed my claws at her, just managing to clip a few pieces of her straight, brown hair as she leaned back to dodge me.

"I never thought I'd see the day where I'd get to fight you one on one. Ever noticed that Batman never let you engage me?" She pulled at the subject. I started to notice that we weren't actually fighting. All she was doing was blocking my attacks and evading me.

"I was inexperienced before, he knows I can handle you now." I replied, continuing the fight, tackling her into case of jewelry, the glass shattering beneath us. Catwoman wouldn't stop smiling.

"I don't think that's the reason, little Sylvie." She said, making me stop cold. I stepped back and retracted my claws, facing her with caution.

"Fine, you have my attention. How do you know my name?" I questioned her carefully, being sure not to set her off or scare her away. It was a large feat to find out the identities of Batman or any of his proteges.

"If you want answers, you'll follow me to a secure location. You'll turn off your GPS and communications with Batman. I promise, no harm will come to you in any way, shape, or form, but I will only disclose what I know if you follow my instructions." She spoke quickly, nodding to Harley. I just glared at her, leaving a disk behind to ping out to Batman to pick up Harley.

"Alright, I'm coming." I told her, turning off my radio and the GPS tracker in my holocomputer.

"There's a security camera that he'll check. There's no audio, so we should be fine. I'm going to run, and you are going to chase me at three… two… one." With a smile, she bolted, leading me out the back of the Jewelry store. We slipped through alleys and over building until we stopped at a particular rooftop, slipping into the warehouse below through a window.

"Start talking." I snapped at her the second she landed after me. The woman seemed pleased that I even came at all.

"Now, now Sylvia. What would your mother say about that behavior?" She asked, a strange glint in her vibrant green eyes. My anger grew in the pit of my stomach. "Oh, but you've never met you're mother." A smirk plastered itself to her face. I had no idea how to respond to her. She knew personal details about my life.

"I used to ask all the time when I was younger, but the way my dad never talked about her and ignored the questions, I just assumed she was dead." I told her, not knowing why I was compelled to trust her all of the sudden.

"Let's start with this, Kitten." She pulled off her cat cowl, completely revealing her face. "My name is Selina Kyle, and I used to date Bruce back in the good old days." The ageless seeming woman spoke slowly, making sure it sunk in for me. I just stood there until she motioned for me to remove my own cowl. I hesitated, but followed her instruction. "You know, of all things, I never expected you to turn out this way. He always said he never wanted you to know, in fear you would be dragged into the life. But it seems fate had it's way. I followed the news and cashed in a few of my favors to find out what happened to you back in Central City." I was so confused on my she knew so much about me, even knew how much she seemed to care about every little detail of mine that rolled out of her lips. She saw the look on my face. "Penny in the air." She spoke smoothly, watching the gears turn behind my eyes, it finally hitting me like a train.

"You…" I was overwhelmed by the idea, the _truth_ that she was trying to tell me without being obvious. "You're my mother." I said slowly, almost not believing the words coming out of my mouth. But this strangely made sense.

"Interesting how things turn out. Your mother is Catwoman, you get experimented on and become feline yourself. You'd make an amazing thief, even better than me, but being raised with Bruce, I don't think you would even think twice before declining." She smiled. I started to see it, how much I looked like her. I always thought I looked a lot like my father, but once I saw her, I realized I was more her than him. We had the same eyes, facial shape, noses, eyebrows, chin, but I still had my father's prominent cheekbones and his jet black hair.

"Why did you never try to see me before?" I questioned, wondering why this was kept from me for so long. I was more shocked than angry.

"You're father and I came to the agreement that I would give him sole custody and stay away, so I could continue on the way I was while you were being raised in a proper household." She explained briefly. "But I was young and naive, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I never stopped thinking about you. I even watched from a distance, just to know how your life was going." She was becoming more and more maternal we spoke. But I stopped my strange feeling of security with her.

"Wait… Earlier you said you kept tabs on me, even in Central city… Why didn't you save me?" I asked, it coming out a little louder than I had intended. Memories flooded through my mind as I thought of the fact that it all could have avoided.

"I told you, I promised your father I would stay out of your life." She said simply, an anger welling up inside me, but I kept it in. But I couldn't stop shaking.

"I've been gone for too long. I need to get back." I said, my voice shaking, and her smile disappeared. She was a criminal, and I couldn't just drop everything to be with my mother.

"I understand, just don't tell Bruce you know, and if you ever need anything or you want to see me, just call." She said before tossing me a burner phone. I checked it and found only one number programmed in it. She labeled herself as S.K.

"Okay." I said before putting my cowl back up, and exiting the warehouse, making a break for the Gotham Zeta tube. There were all kinds of emotions running through me, but I had no idea what to do with them. But I did know I couldn't tell my dad. I knew I would have to be careful not to reveal anything with a tell or a slip up. The second I stepped through the Zeta Tube and entered the Batcave, I found myself still alone. After I had already changed out of my costume did they come home. I kept my back turned, walking over to the express elevator.

"Where were you?" My father asked as he pulled his cowl down. I kept my back turned.

"I assume you got Harley, since you didn't ask what happened. She and Catwoman were robbing a jewelry store, Catwoman took off, so I pursued. I lost her on the corner of 3rd and Deming." I reported in a low tone, taking off as normally as I could before they could say anything else, the elevator doors closing before they could say anything. The second the door opened into the study, I sprinted into the hallway and up the stairs, locking myself in my bedroom.

I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do, but the memories were getting harder and harder to suppress. I slowly started pacing around the room, trying to calm down, but my deep breathing became hyperventilation. I was pulling on my hair and scratching at my wrists. I sprinted for my bathroom and threw up, unable to control myself. I was panicking as I lay on the floor. I couldn't find anything to calm me down, not even that feeling from when I got my memory back in the hospital. But I began calming down when Bialya crossed my mind. I focused on the memory of Wally squeezing my hand. The memories of the lab slowly drifted away as I caught my breath, but I just curled up on the floor, keeping calm the best I could.

"Miss Sylvia, is everything alright?" I heard Alfred knock on my locked door. But I stayed quiet, in fear of losing my serenity. "Miss Sylvia?" He asked once again. I just pulled myself up off the ground and decided to open the door.

"I'm fine." I told him quietly, knowing he probably didn't believed me.

"I have prepared you a meal since you missed a proper dinner from your night on the town." Alfred said as he lead me back downstairs.

* * *

 **Author's note: Hi! I know this was a bit of a short chapter but I hope you all still liked it! Please _review_!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	12. Homefront

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Wayne Manor**

 **September 22nd, 2010**

I groaned aloud as my alarm went off for school, exhausted from the night before. I was tempted to just close my eyes for five more minutes, but that always turned into Alfred waking me up at the last second. So, I threw off the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed, slowly standing up, stretching towards the ceiling. I went to the bathroom and just brushed my teeth, rolling on some deodorant, and brushed out my hair. I moved to my closet, grabbing my school uniform. I quickly slipped on a pair of spandex under my skirt before carefully tucking my white button down into the waist of the awkwardly short, pleated grey skirt. I put on my tie and slipped the black Gotham Academy sweater vest. I grabbed my blazer just in case and folded it neatly, slipping it into my backpack.

"Miss Sylvia, you're breakfast is ready to go." Alfred said as he stood in the doorway. I nodded, grabbing my phone and backpack. I followed him down into the kitchen where a sleep deprived zombie named Richard Grayson was downing a cup of black coffee.

"Oh my sweet goodness, Alfred, you're the best." I smiled tiredly as Alfred handed me the most delicious breakfast I had ever seen. It was eggs, sausage and cheese between two maple syrup infused pancakes. It was like a mcgriddle, but a lot healthier. Dick and I dug into our breakfast sandwiches and followed Alfred to the car. By the time we got to school, I was at least a little less than half asleep, but Alfred knew I'd be like this and handed me a large coffee in a to go cup. Dick and I walked together into the school after saying goodbye to Alfred. We separated as he went to hand out with Barbara Gordon as I went to find Bette and the girls. We all went to our lockers and got ready for the morning classes.

"Hey, I'm a new student liaison today, wanna help out a bit since we're in all the same classes?" Bette asked as I took a sip of my coffee. I just nodded and put a smile on my face for the new kid. When we walked up, I had to contain my disbelief as none other than Artemis, the Team's resident Archer, entered the courtyard in a school uniform and her blonde hair back in her usual ponytail. Bette and approached her with all smiles. If she didn't recognize me, this was going to be good.

"Artemis, I'm Bette, your new student liaison, and this is Sylvia. Welcome to Gotham Academy." She smiled introducing me to her. It was hysterical to me that I was the only one that knew her already, but she didn't necessarily know exactly who I was.

"Thanks. I'm Artemis…" She was completely awkward. "But you knew that." Artemis realized and laughed uncomfortable as I saw Dick run up to her and take a selfie with her.

"We'll laugh about this some day." He said before disappearing back to Barbara by the pillars surrounding the courtyard. I held back a snort.

"Uh, who's that?" Artemis asked, completely confused. I just laughed, she definitely wasn't going to recognize him with his hair slicked back or without the sunglasses.

"Sylvia's freshman brother." Bette laughed as we walked away.

"You can just ignore him." I told her, thinking about what I could do or say to throw her off a bit before she figured out who I was. I wasn't much for following Batman's rules with the sunglasses, but the feline eyes and incisors seem to throw people off pretty well. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

 **The Batcave**

 **Later that day…**

"Where are you going?" My dad asked, his cowl down as he did something on the Batcomputer. I just sighed, my costume already on.

"Don't worry, I'm going to the Cave. School was fine and I've already finished my homework. Dick said he had something else to do, so I'm not waiting for him." I told him, programming my destination on the Zeta-computer. "Hey, I totally forgot that you said Artemis was coming to Gotham Academy. I got to take her from class to class with Bette." I told him with a smile.

"Did she recognize you?" My dad questioned calmly and I shook my head. "Good." He said simply before I stepped through the Zeta Tube, bathing in the golden light as I stepped out of the other side at the cave.

 **Recognized:**

 _Wildcat B04._

"Hey, Kit-Kat." I heard Wally say as I looked over to see him walking towards the hangar in his Kid Flash costume and a sandwich in hand. I caught up to him, awkward, but happy to see him. We still haven't talked to each other about the thing in Bialya. He must assume that I was too tired to remember.

"Hey, Wally." I smiled, the two of us walking together, to my assumption since Robin and Artemis, we were looking for M'gann and Conner. I was actually glad he took the earth name M'gann chose for him. I decided not to bring up Artemis being at my school since her cover story was that she was Green Arrow's niece and did her usual hero work patrols with him in Star City. I saw Sphere roll ahead, finding them before us.

"Hey, guys. You two sure spend a lot of time working on his bike. Obviously you need the Wall-man's expert help." Wally said as I saw M'gann and Superboy pat sphere like they were thankful. I gave M'gann one look and she looked back with a smile, confirming my theory. Wally was in for a treat when he found out, and it made me feel a bit better that he didn't actually have a chance with her. Was I jealous? No. Was I one hundred percent sure? Maybe. After a bit, Superboy agreed to let Wally try working on the bike. He knelt down to the side as I sat cross legged next to him with the tool box.

"Torque wrench." Wally requested as Kaldur approached the four of us. I handed him the proper wrench.

"Thank you, Sweet Cheeks." Wally said, smiling at me. I looked away, glad that my cowl hid my blushing.

"I have been meaning to ask. Any problem juggling schoolwork with your responsibilities here?" Aqualad asked, his tone odd, like there was something else to his question. I just ignored the feeling in my gut as I watched Wally work on the bike.

"No." Superboy said, not really understanding why the question was necessary, but we all just rolled with it.

"Juggling is just one of my many talents. Socket wrench." Wally said, me swapping the torque wrench for the next tool.

"No problem." I said, remembering how glad I was that I quit soccer, knowing that I wouldn't be able to keep my commitment as a first string goalie while still going on missions, Gotham Patrol and having training around the clock.

"Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge. Oh, but my first loyalty is always to the team. This team, not the Bumblebees." M'gann said. I respected cheerleading, but it was definitely something you could do and still miss a lot of and still be respected on the team.

"Artemis starts her new school today. Do you think she will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?" Kaldur said, suddenly bringing loyalty into the mix. I would have used priorities, so there must be something up with him and Loyalties right now. I knew and interrogation when I saw one.

"She'll be fine, she definitely will have a handle on things." I told him, my eyes narrowing at the atlantean.

"Kit-Kat's right, I mean, how much more hostile and annoying can-" Wally was cut off by the wall exploding next to us. I wiped the debris off myself and ran into action, seeing two Red Androids that reminded be a lot more of Red Tornado than Mister Twister. I ejected my claws and charged, but I was caught in the massive blast of water. M'gann and Aqualad made it away, but the water just kept pounding. When I finally was able to gasp for breath, I couldn't move. I looked around at myself and found that the metal was still hot and slightly burning my suit as the water steamed against it. Conner, Wally and I were trapped in warped metal. I looked up at the last minute to see the female android trapping Aqualad and M'gann in a cage of fire, the two of them becoming weaker and weaker.

"What the hell are we supposed to do now? They're going to kill them with that fire." I said as the two androids left the room, leaving us all trapped as they went to secure the rest of the mountain. No one said anything as M'gann faded way faster than Aqualad. I heard a battle happening and the computer announcing the arrival of Robin and Artemis. They must have escaped the robots since they weren't brought out here. After a few moments, my thoughts were confirmed as I heard the male robot's echo through the cave, sounding exactly like Red Tornado.

"Attention, Robin. Attention, Artemis. You have exactly 10 minutes to surrender, or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished." The voice echoed. I looked to Wally, the two of us both worried.

"If they're still alive and uncaptured, we still have a chance, right?" Wally asked, and I nodded.

"They'll either get help, or figure it out themselves." I promised, looking over at M'gann and Aqualad, nervous since they were currently the most vulnerable. I watched as the red woman returned, increasing the intensity of the heat coming from the cage. I could feel it in from the metal as the three of us struggled to break free. But the red male willed the water to return, rising up to our necks.

"Nine minutes, and forty five seconds." The male android spoke coldly. I realized I could twist around in the metal as the water began to act as a lubricant. "Eight minutes." I heard once again. I believed we were down to about seven minutes when Robin and Artemis breached the surface of the water.

"Look out!" Wally yelled as the other two dove under, to avoid a fireball from the female android. They swam over to us, gasping for breath.

"You guys okay?" Robin said, swimming to me and grabbing more bombs out of my utility belt, finding that it wasn't completely trapped in the metal as I pushed myself forward so he could get to it. I kept twisting my joints around in the metal. I was getting uncomfortable, but I was getting uncomfortable.

"Forget us. Help M'gann." Superboy said loudly and angrily.

"Aqualad! is she…?" Artemis squeaked, hoping for the best.

"She is unconscious. I fear she we cannot survive much longer." Aqualad said, fighting the best he could to stay conscious. The red woman shot more fire at the two as they dove back under, away from her reach. They emerged at the steps, running up as the male android emerged to follow them, his left I sparking like one of them damaged it. The red woman cornered them.

"I'm almost out of arrows." I heard Artemis say as I finally got an arm free beneath the water.

"Distract her, now!" I heard Robin shout as something exploded with red smoke. Out of nowhere, one of Robin's discs deflected off the male android, it embedding itself in the metal just next to Wally's ear.

"Whoa." He said in shock as I wiggled my other arm free. Unlike the other two, my muscles were small and my flexibility aided in wriggling free. I was able to push my abdomen forward as I brought my shoulders down, my chin now touching the metal. The water was now just below my nose as I moved.

"But I'm betting we can make one." I heard Robin's voice say in the disc he planted next to Kid. "What do you say, KF?" I put my hands up into the place where my shoulders were. "Do-able?"

"Kit-Kat is doing something really weird… and totally do-able." He said as I churned the water as I moved more forcefully.

"Five minutes." The android said once again.

"You know, if you had more time." Kid said as I pushed my arms up, usinging the leverage to pull the rest of myself up. The movement strained my feet, but I was able to shimmy up, the only hard part getting my hips through the hole where my shoulders were. "Med lab, X-ray machine. You'll find a small vacuum tube called a vircator that converts high energy pulses.

Reprogram the unit's microwave conversion from x-rays to EMPs, with a cascading energy vector directed outward." Kid told them in the comm as I was free, putting my body back in the water and pretending to look like I was still trapped as the androids passed by.

"A ripple effect. Like dropping a stone in a pond." I heard Robin say as I pulled three re-breathers from my utility belt, knowing that there's a chance the water will get to high.

"A stone with 10 to the twelfth power of wattage, yeah." Wally replied watching me dip my head under to scope out how the androids even got in.

"So I'll need to hook it up to the cave main generator." Robin said. I looked over, remembering that the main generator was in here.

"Four minutes." The androids said as they checked on us once again. I held myself in place to make it look like I was still as the water made its way up our necks, everyone looking up to keep it away from our mouths.

"Okay. Make with the distraction." Robin said as we all saw them get into place.

"Hey, red tomato! Who's your girlfriend, Red Onion?" Wally asked loudly to the androids as Robin and Artemis skirted around the edge of the hangar.

"Yeah. And by the way, worst death trap ever. We can escape any time we want." Superboy smiled, getting the attention of the Robots.

"I can vibrate my molecules out of here before your binary brains can count to two." The second wally said it, I started laughing, unable to contain myself.

"And you can't drown a Kryptonian, dumb bots. We don't breathe air." Superboy was able to maintain their attention. It seemed they were calculating for error. Wally just bursted out laughing.

"And Miss Martian? I can't believe you're buying her act." He joked to the androids as they watched us.

"You know how hot it gets in the caves of Mars? That cage is just making her homesick. Duh!" I shouted, laughing morbidly at the sight of M'gann who was actually dying at the moment. Wally laughed with me.

"Robin, look out!" Artemis yelled as the male notice him, splashing the water up and taking him with it. She fired an explosive arrow missing as the female forced her to make another escape. Robin was brought up in a thing of water. I would be worried with him not moving, but it was apart of our training to pretend to have drowned in order to get out of the water faster. Which was right, because he was dropped out of the water, laying on the ground as he pretended not to breath.

"Three minutes." The male android announced as the water rose. Aqualad was finally down for the count as the androids watched Robin. "One minute." he said and just as the water rose above our heads, I swam over to Wally and Superboy, giving them rebreathers as my muscles ached from the painful escape from the metal. They two of them just looked at my underwater as they didn't need to struggle anymore. I peaked above the surface to see Artemis enter.

"I surrender. Stop the clock." She said. They reached for her bow, but she leaped over them, firing one last arrow at the generator. The metal arrow head worked, the EMP activating. The cage of fire faded as the water moved back down.

"Kaldur, how's M'gann?" Superboy yelled immediately.

"She breathes." He replied in a labored voice. "I believe she will recover. What of Robin?" Kaldur asked as I ran to check on my brother. The second I saw him, he sputtered.

"He... He's breathing, too." Artemis said thankfully, leaning back on her feet.

"Way to get traught." He smiled, Artemis letting out a sigh of relief as I elevated my brother's head. After a bit, Artemis and I decided to get a laser to cut Wally and Superboy out.

"So how did you make it?" Wally asked Robin.

"Figured my only shot was to _surrender_ , pretend to drown before I actually did. Blacked out, though." He explained.

"M'gann." Connor said, M'gann holding his free hand. The martian was conscious and supported by Aqualad.

"I'll be fine." She promised him. I couldn't help but smile at the two of them before looking to Wally who was getting aggravated.

"Will you quit playing with that thing and cut us free already?" He snapped.

"It's not working, genius." I snapped at him, defending Artemis.

"EMP shuts down all machines, remember?" The blonde archer spoke angrily as I heard Red Tornado arrive.

"All machines present at the time. What has occurred?" He questioned, surveying the situation.

"Had a little visit from your family." Robin frowned, looking over at the inactive robots.

"Your extremely nasty family." Artemis snapped at him, but I rested a hand on her shoulder understanding how much she must have gone through today.

"I was not aware I had relations." Tornado said as he walked over to his _siblings_.

"Where have you been?" Superboy asked, watching the Android.

"Monitor duty on the Watchtower. When it became clear cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate. But your Zeta tubes were also nonfunctional. I transported to Providence and proceeded here." Tornado explained as Sphere activated and rolled up at the same time the laser finally began working.

"Hey, boy." Connor welcomed the sphere as the laser shot out at the ground.

"The pulse has worn off." Robin and Wally said at the same time as Tornado touched one of his siblings. There was a faint spark before Tornado and the female shared the same glowing eyes. He flew up into the air and vacuumed all of the oxygen away from us. Everyone was suffocating. I reached for Wally just before I blacked out, his eyes wide.

* * *

I felt someone shake me as I started remembering things. I suddenly remembered the tank of water, being electrocuted. But someone shook me some more as I opened my eyes. Before I realized what was going in, I tackled the person shaking me, pressing my claws against their throat. I snapped to reality and realized I was on top of Robin. I moved away from him and looked over, seeing Captain Atom freeing Superboy and Wally. Superman was helping Artemis off the ground.

"What happened here?" He asked her, and she went ballistic.

"What happened? The Reds happened! Tornado and his- Wait, where are they?" She asked, afraid. The second Captain Atom freed Wally, he sped to me, giving me a hug as I groaned in pain. My body hurt a lot more than it did when I escaped the metal.

"Gone." Robin spoke up. "All three of them. Gone"


	13. Alpha Male

**Author's note: Sorry for the gap between chapters, I've been really busy lately. I'll let you get back to the story after a friendly reminder to please _review!_ I can't make the story better if I don't receive any feedback!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **September 23rd, 2010**

The sounds of the Justice League repairing the Cave echoed in every room. I had returned from the medical bay a few minutes ago, being told by the Flash and Batman was that their estimation of my injuries sustained from my escape, covered about sixty five percent of my skin, giving me the choice of either minimizing the blows I take from enemies of missions, or sitting them out entirely. I might have protested both, but my entire body was riddled with black and blue splotches from abrasions that went deep into my tissue as well as multiple corrupted blood vessels from the pressure. Even the slightest movements burned.

Currently, Black Canary and Green arrow were keeping a close eye on us as we sat in a newly added table in the mission room. Kid Flash and I were resting our heads on our folded arms. I disheveled Robin sat with his head drooping while M'gann just seemed out of it. Artemis was on my other side, just straddling the bench next to the table as she watched the Justice Leaguers mill about. Superboy, _Conner_ , was standing with his arms crossed, his head angled down as he gave Leaguers sideways glances. Green Arrow only left for a moment, returning with a bowl of pretzels, setting it in front of the speedster.

"Thanks, but no thanks." KF replied, for once actually ignoring the food before him. I noticed him turn to face me out the corner of my eye.

"Yeah. What we want are answers about Red Tornado and his siblings." Robin said, getting Kid's attention for the moment, him actually sitting up.

"Exactly!" Kid exclaimed as Green Arrow moved to take the pretzels. "Leave the bowl." Kid told him as he took it out of G.A.'s hands. He started munching down on the pretzels before slowing down, resting a hand on my back, but I winced in pain. He noticed and looked down, keeping his hands to himself. I looked over and watched Aqualad talking to Batman. I knew it wasn't any of my business, so I focused my hearing on heartbeats and the sound of pretzels crunching in Kid's mouth. But I lost focus when Superboy walked over to Aqualad with the scariest look on his face.

"You knew?!" The Kryptonian barked, grabbing Aqualad by the shirt and pushed him into the cave wall. "That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann!" He roared, his voice echoing all over the cave.

"Connor, what are you doing?" M'gann questioned with worry as she flew over to him from the table.

"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us, and said nothing!" He yelled, still pinning the Atlantean. Everyone bolted out of their chairs but me. I just had to get myself out and protect Superboy and Wally, causing myself a great deal of pain in the process. I just sat there as I watched them fight. Ruminating over my own anger over the fact that not even Robin nor I were trusted enough to at least aid in carrying the burden of that kind of secret.

"You knew?" Robin questioned angrily, Artemis standing closely behind him. The two of them were near inseparable since the incident.

"But didn't tell us?" Wally snapped with irritation. He kept looking back as me as aggravation boiled beneath his skin.

"I sought to protect the team from-" He tried to explain, but Artemis cut him off. I understood what he was trying to say.

"Protect us from what? Knowledge that might have saved our lives?" She was livid, her knuckles white as she gripped her bow.

"You almost died!" Superboy barked, looking back at the martian girl.

"You're all idiots." I said under my breath, no one paying attention to me, so I stood up finally, putting a hand on Superboy's shoulder. "Sure, I feel a bit annoyed that he didn't trust us with the information, but you people ask why he did something and didn't even let him answer, jumping to conclusions. He's our leader and you just turn on him like that?" I asked, but Superboy wouldn't even look at me, his eyes locked on the floor. He just kept looking back at M'gann.

"We _all_ could have _died_. He had no right to keep this secret." Artemis said, and I just gave up as the roast continued. People yelling and arguing as I just stood by.

"Enough." Batman shut them all down with one word, giving Superboy a look that made him voluntarily let go of Kaldur. Two of my father's many talents at work. "With Red Tornado missing, the team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift." Batman informed us as the red clad hero approached.

"I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys." Captain Marvel said with a smile. I just sighed as the beef cake was happy to be our supervisor after what happened with Red Tornado.

"After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna-" Superboy was going to threaten Kaldur, but Batman interrupted.

"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League. That makes him a League responsibility. You will leave him to us. I have another assignment for this team." Batman gestured back, the holocomputer now displaying a newspaper article. It switched to another more local news paper after a moment.

"Gotham Mayor attacked by Guerrilla Gorilla?" Kid Flash spoke with disdain, glaring at the newspaper articles. After the occurrences of the last twenty four hours, this was going to be a long day.

"Batman, please! Tell me you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase." Robin was questioning our mentor, but I understood that this wasn't that.

"I _never_ joke about the mission." Batman made Robin look like a deer in headlights, asserting his dominance over his irritated protege. "I've checked the sources. I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents. Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and check this out." Batman ordered, and the Atlantean nodded in understanding. "Wildcat, you should sit this one out." He said suddenly in an oddly different tone than usual, everyone looking between us strangely.

"Is this an order, or a recommendation?" I laughed, tilting my head slightly at the fact that I've taken a lot worse from actual criminals, still continuing my work through those injuries. Why now does he suddenly care about simple bruising? But he just remained silent as I walked away with the others.

"Huh, _your_ team." Kid Flash gave Aqualad this look as he passed, but I punched him in the shoulder.

"What was that for?" He hissed quietly. I glared at him.

"He's still our leader. You heard what I said earlier. We still owe him respect since he's the reason we've survived all of our missions so far." I reminded him as we walked to the Bioship, but he shook his head.

"Not Bialya. You saved _his_ life." KF reminded me, my face growing hot as I remembered what happened at the end of that mission.

"That wasn't anyone's fault. No one knew that there was a telepath in the vicinity that could hack our link." I reminded him before speeding ahead, biting back the soreness in my limbs. I passed everyone and boarded the Bioship after M'gann. After I strapped in for launch, Kid boarded and sat down next to me, but I just pulled an ipod out of my utility belt and turned up the music to ignore him. But I broke after an hour and a half, giving him one earbud so we could be bored on the flight together.

* * *

 **Northern India**

As the Bioship descended in camouflage mode, a hatch in the floor opened as Robin, Artemis and I dropped below into the night. The the three of us quickly scoped the perimeter before reporting back to the rest of the Team as they all exited the back of the Bioship. The three of them were looking around, hesitantly. Right now, we didn't really seem much like a team.

"All clear." Robin reported to the rest of us. Kid Flash was hanging uncomfortably close to me, something that he usually never did.

"Switch to stealth, and we'll review mission parameters." Aqualad ordered as he activated his own stealth, the red tank top of his wet suit becoming a dark grey.

"Parameters? We don't need no stinkin' parameters." Kid Flash snapped from right next to me, I just pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

"Seriously?" I asked him, but I noticed Robin glaring daggers at me as I spoke.

"It's recon. We know what to do." Robin grumbled before walking away, Kid grabbing my arm, trying to take me with them.

"Kid, Robin-" Aqualad tried to stop them, and it worked, but only for a moment.

"The four of us started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us!" Rob half yelled, the words making me uncomfortable. I understood the League had secrets, I was honestly just along for the ride when we decided to investigate Cadmus and ended up finding that the four of us and Superboy working as a team was definitely an important experience. But this was a new low. Aqualad keeping a secret that there may _possibly_ be a mole, or the Justice League deciding we were too young and untrustworthy to know basic Justice League information? I would be more upset with the latter.

"Or did you forget that, like you forgot to tell us about the mole?" Kid held onto his grudge as he and Robin dragged me along with them, the two of them hanging a lot closer to me than they usually did.

"Can the two of you let go of me? I'll stick with you guys, but not if you're going to hang onto my bruises." They immediately let go of me as I stretched out, rubbing my arms before picking back up on the run with them.

"Sorry." Kid said shamefully as the three of us slowed to a walk, hiking through the jungle. My only distraction from the mission was the incessant need to look up at the sky where I saw the faint shadows of birds circling over head. The first few times I assumed it was because something else made a kill nearby and there were scavengers, but the more and more I looked up, the more I realized that these birds were low flying and circling us. There was a strange sound of elephants and attacks coming from somewhere in the distance. The three of us stopped and checked if there was anything visible in our vicinity, but that was when the birds trailing us dove out of the sky, the closer they got, the bigger they became. We all bolted as one's tallongs shredded right through a log where Kid was standing.

"I thought vulture only ate dead meat." Robin observed as he chucked explosives at the birds in an attempt to deter their flight path. I just smiled, the adrenaline pumping through me voiding the soreness in my lips.

"Yeah, these are some very proactive scavengers." Kid shouted as I ejected my claws as one swooped down at me. I swiped at the side of its face, just missing the left eye, but it was enough for it to fly back and rejoin the other one.

"Proactive and super-sized." I remarked as I sped up, throwing Robin onto my back so we could move just a few miles faster. Kid took the hint and pushed on with me with ease. I knew this was still slow for him, but every bit counted as the birds gained on us.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Robin asked the two of us from my back as he chucked another explosive at the birds.

"Kobra Venom?" Kid and I were on the same page as my little brother.

"Yeah, what else do we know of that increased body mass and physical attributes?" I commented sarcastically, ducking below a low hanging branch. The bird both swooped down once again, and this time I launched Robin into the air to Kid before I flipped out of the way, pushing myself to my limits at I sprinted with Kid to get away from the birds from hell.

"Go for the trees!" I yelled, diving into the brush as I used the branches to swing myself around, getting the bird to attack the trees instead of me. Robin gave on the slip in the trees, copying my method of evasive action. Kid was finally at a high enough speed that he bounced between trees until he propelled himself high into the air, cannonballing into one of the birds as it crashed into the ground. He just grabbed a vine and swung down to safety. The second the bird hit the ground, I noticed a collar around its neck, flickering with electricity. It looked a lot like the one's M'gann and Superboy had to wear when they went into Belle Reve as the Terror Twins. I lunged and dug my claws deep into the metal, ripping the collar off and the bird just flying away with no problem.

"That's it!" Robin exclaimed as he watched me. "Kid! Go for the collar!" Robin ordered aloud the speedster trying to get away from the second bird. He acknowledged and stopped in his tracked, charging the bird before sliding under and punching the collar as Robin threw an explosive, destroying the collar. The bird blinked before just flying off like nothing happened.

 _Link established._ I heard M'gann say in my mind as Kid, Robin and I overlooked a river, keeping an eye out for more animals on Kobra Venom.

 _Should you really still be giving us orders? And should you really be following them?_ I heard Artemis in my head. I guessed this was going to be another conversation of childish grudges. With a sigh, I sniffed the air, hoping to be able to track the animals.

 _Listen, please._ Aqualad tried to get a hold of the Team's attention, but no one seemed to care.

 _Oh, good, Aqualad's voice in my head. I've so missed that._ Kid Flash droned sarcastically as I punched his shoulder.

 _Just tell him what happened, and spare us all the sarcasm._ I glared at Robin, giving him the go ahead as I gave Kid a look that made him stop, looking at the ground.

 _Hey, Kaldur, KF, Cat and I were attacked by giant vultures._ He was off to a good start, but ruined it the moment another thought seemed to pop into his head. _'Course, since we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves._ Robin added, soaking his mental statement with angry sarcasm.

 _What did I just say._ I stood up, looking down upon my currently ignorant little brother. He couldn't follow a simple direction I gave him to avoid causing problems with the leadership of the Team.

 _If he did, he wouldn't tell you._ Artemis quipped, but I just pinched the bridge of my nose as I knelt back down to the shrubbery, concealing myself as I saw rustling in the treeline on the other side of the stream.

 _Superboy, are you online or just pouting?_ M'gann asked, giving me a little hope that this entire conversation would be us berating Aqualad.

 _Busy. Call back later._ He said calmly, giving me the assumption he was probably duking it out with a Kobra Venom animal that I really wouldn't want to meet.

 _What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us._ Kid said as I saw the culprit of the rustling come out. I was just a plain looking monkey, not enhanced in any way.

 _He should be chalant. Way chalant. Extremely chal-_ Robin was going to say his stupid word one more time before Artemis stepped in with her own suspicions.

 _How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?_ Artemis asked, but I knew she shouldn't be the one to talk since I knew for a fact that she wasn't Green Arrow's niece. I wasn't going to say anything since it would make me feel guilty for not telling anyone about Catwoman, but I couldn't lose their trust. Besides, I needed to be alone for my meeting with her tomorrow.

 _Or if Connor doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves?_ M'gann chimed in, her irritation with Superboy's overprotectiveness since the Red Fiasco.

 _Did he really think you or I could have been the mole?_ Kid said as I watched the monkey move down stream before entering back into the trees.

 _We've known each other for years!_ Robin said and I started laughing despite the need to be covert at the moment. _What?_ He just looked at me in confusion. I just shook my head, knowing that there are plenty of things I've kept from him despite knowing him longer than anyone else on the Team.

 _Trust is a two-way street, and you know they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them._ M'gann said with disdain, but I just kept laughing, knowing that only Kid and Rob could hear me. This was ridiculous.

 _Not that we'd do that._ Artemis quickly added.

 _Never._ M'gann laughed uncomfortably. We're teenagers that have a desire for privacy, of course we all have our secrets.

 _Enough._ Aqualad finally barked into the link, everyone stopping what they were doing. _Captain Marvel has been captured, and we must act as a team to save him._ But Kid just scoffed.

 _Under your leadership? I don't think-_ He tried to protest, but Aqualad finally had the guts to take over.

 _This is not up for debate. You all chose me to lead. When the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down. But until that time, I am in command here._ Aqualad ordered, each of us finally doing what he said. After a bit of hiking back to where we started, we rejoined as a Team, finding Aqualad. When I saw the tracks, I immediately crouched down and touched the dirt, smelling the area as I got a sense for what might have taken him. The tracks were a mix between Captain Marvel, a large ape, and a tiger. We all silently followed Aqualad as he lead us, following the tracks to a compound. We all surveyed the territory as Artemis knocked an arrow and Kid Flash set his goggles to infrared. M'gann was in camouflage mode above everyone in a tree. I analysed the pylons surrounding the compound. The design is meant as a security system, an electromagnetic force field.

 _I'll fly over._ M'gann said, ready to move. But it couldn't just be that simple.

 _Negatory. The field is stamped like a dome over the whole compound._ Kid reported as he scanned the head signature generated by the pylons.

 _Pylons are insulated, but one good shock could cause a momentary gap._ Robin reported as he worked out probability and statistics for out getting into the compound to retrieve Captain Marvel.

 _I see a target._ Artemis announced as she knocked a punching arrow. I tracked her line of sight and saw what she meant, a power button next to the entrance.

 _Then be ready to hit it. Be ready, all of you._ Aqualad ordered as he left his water bearers in his pack, approaching the field with his hands empty and ready. His tattooes glowed as he electrocuted the field, managing to get it to react.

 _Now!_ Kid ordered Artemis and she fired the arrow, it hitting the button and the force field shutting down. All of us bolted through, ready to retrieve Captain Marvel. But I heard movement above. I stopped in my tracks as a Baboon howled, alerting the rest of the troupe as alarms flashed and blared.

"Remove their collars!" Aqualad yelled aloud as he set the first monkey free from control.

"Sounds easy when he says it." Robin grumbled as I slashed through the collars from the Baboons attacking him. Robin immediately threw batarangs, slicing the collars of the monkeys about to attack Artemis. The second he did, a massive Gorilla stepped out of the building, dressed with decal like a french soldier. M'gann tried to sneak around it in camouflage mode, but caught her, throwing her to the ground. He pointed his machine gun, ready to disable her, but I looked to Aqualad. He grabbed me and threw me right at the stupid ape. With a battle cry, I tackled the massive ape to the ground, digging my claws beneath the thick fur to hold him off as M'gann picked herself up from the ground. In a fit of rage, I dove out of the way as she psionically blasted him through a wall. We all entered through the hole in the building and looked in awe as we all saw Captain Marvel on an operating table as none other than the Brain electrocuted a tiger.

"It's The Brain!" Kid exclaimed, torn between being excited and repulsed.

"Uh, I can see it's a brain." Artemis sassed, but she really didn't get it, being a newbie and all.

"Not a brain, The Brain." He corrected her as we all stood off against the little droid.

"In the flesh, so to speak." His french accent was still strong despite his automated voice. "Mallah." He called the Gorilla and blue glowing pylons rose from the ground above us. Rendering everyone inert on the ground.

 _Miss Martian, Superboy, now!_ Aqualad ordered in the psychic link. M'gann willed the remote to leave Mallah as float above her as she deactivating the paralysing pylons. Superboy busted through the far wall, a white wolf at his side. The wolf attacked Mallah with Kid Flash as we all dodged the ape's gunfire. I leapt over the ape, removing the sash with extra reloads as M'gann flipped him onto his pack with her telekinesis. He tried to fire the gun again, but Robin, Artemis and I began setting off explosives against his back, destroying the gun. The three of us then joined the fight against the Brain, who was firing lasers as Aqualad. I jumped in the way and the Brain just stopped firing as I charged him.

"Why attack moi, when I can take you to your _creators_." He said with his mechanical french voice, and I stopped in my tracks. "Come with me, my dear kitten, and I can show you the _Light_ , " He said, and it seemed like a play on words, but I knew the term from somewhere. I suddenly felt weak, falling to my knees before him. I heard Mallah roar in the background as I melted in front of the Brain, completely unable to move. My mind was running blank as his suit opened up, an additional mechanism extending outwards from him as it sounded like it was charging.

"No, Mallah, this will not be our Waterloo. Au revoir, mes amis." The Brain said as I fell over, curled up, motionless on the ground before him.

"Get down!" I heard Kid yell as I felt his arms encircle me, pulling me away from the brain and shielding me. The lights all switched off for a moment before the flood lights came on. "Wait, that big weapon thing was... a light switch?" Kid asked as the Brain and Mallah were nowhere to be seen. My fingers twitched as I got the largest headache of my entire life. I slowly stood up from the ground and saw that Kid had found Mallah's hat. We all trekked back to the Bioship and got ready to board.

"What are you grinning about?" Artemis glared and Kid, drawing my attention to the unfaltering smile.

"One word. Souvenir." He said with excitement as he put on the hat. I was completely grossed out as Artemis glared at the speedster.

"Two words. Gorilla lice." Artemis told him as she walked ahead.

"Huh? Oh, man!" Kid tore the hat from his head and held it away from himself as I laughed at him. We caught up to the others just as Superboy started talking to the massive white wolf.

"The rest of the pack is gone. What are you still doing here?" He asked, petting the fur of the massive canine.

"I think he wants to stay with you." M'gann laughed, the wolf nuzzling its nose of Superboy.

"Can I keep him?" He asked like a little five year old with a stray puppy. Kid just started laughing lightly.

"First the sphere, now this beast? Dude, you sure make a habit of collecting strays." Kid remarked, eyeing the happy wolf as Superboy continued to rub the beast behind the ears.

"Maybe because he's such a stray himself." M'gann commented, the two began having a silent conversation, so I turned, drawing Kid's attention.

"So, need me to check your hair when we get back?" I asked, gesturing to the hat in his hand and he just groaned. I couldn't stop laughing as he slowly started getting the stick out of his butt, laughing with with me.

"Well, he's gonna need a name. How's about Krypto?" Kid offered up the name, but the albino canine snarled.

"Pass." Superboy smiled, glancing at the beast.

"Besides, isn't that taken?" M'gann asked, probably referring to Superman's dog. I left them as I went to board the ship, Aqualad had the same idea, but robin stopped him.

"Look, I need to know. Why did you keep the mole intel a secret?" Robin asked. Aqualad turned and found the entire Team awaiting his answer.

"The source of the tip was Sportsmaster." Aqualad finally revealed, setting off the most unlikely of the group.

"What? You can't trust him!" She snapped at him, and he simply let her.

"I do not. It seemed possible, even likely, that he was attempting to divide the Team with false information." Aqualad clarified for her. I understood that he was trying to protect us, it just made a lot more sense now.

"And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded. But you had to consider it might be true." Robin was finally understanding why Kaldur did what he did.

"Yes. As leader, I did. In which case, I did not wish to alert the traitor." Aqualad spoke calmly, basically diffusing everyone. I was sure that the rest of us were no longer upset with him… or at least I hoped.

"Hate to say it, but makes sense." Robin gave in, and he usually never backed down when he was wrong. I've been on the similar end of that for a lot longer than I would have liked.

"I am still prepared to step down." Aqualad reminded everyone. After his speech about being in command, I wasn't sure I wanted him to step down.

"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader?" Kid Flash said happily, knowing what was going to happen. Everyone raised their hands, including Captain Marvel, who wasn't actually on the Team. Robin and Aqualad shared a look as I noticed Artemis not taking her eyes off of the two of them.

"Guess it's unanimous." Captain Marvel said, putting a hand on Aqualad's shoulder. "See you tomorrow." He waves, walking back into the clearing. Something seemed off about him, but I shook it off.

"You're not coming back with us?" Aqualad questioned as the hero walked away.

"Nope, gotta fly." He waved once again with a big smile before taking off into the sky. Kid suddenly put his arm around me as the two of us walked back onto the ship, my soreness slowly returning.

"So, what are you gonna call him?" M'gann asked Superboy behind us.

"What's wrong with Wolf?" Superboy questioned, and I smiled, enjoying the fact that Superboy didn't really care about putting so much thought into the name. He just cared about the animal.

"Generic, but acceptable." KF said with a smile as the two of us sat down next to each other, once again sharing music as the Bioship launched, leaving Northern India behind us. As we flew back to Mt. Justice, a thought pushed itself to the front of my mind. I was meeting with Catwoman tomorrow.


	14. Cinnamon Rolls

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **September 24th, 2010**

 **Gotham Academy**

People droned about the halls as everyone made their way to their last class of the day. With it being friday, everyone was anxious to get out of school, but I was hanging onto my last shred of occupied time. The second school let out, I had to change into the outfit I had in my bag, and make my way to a coffee shop in this part of town where no one, especially my father, would catch me in the act of meeting with my mother. Currently, they were all under the impression I was going to Bette's house for a few hours since we were apart of the Social Committee, currently planning the homecoming dance occurring tomorrow. The only trivial thing I was actually worrying about was the fact that I didn't have a date, which Bette kept getting on me for. Lucky for me, there was a masquerade theme, so if it came down to it, I would easily be able to bring Wally as long as I kept him and Artemis from talking. Not for my sake necessarily, but for her's. It wasn't my secret to tell that she wasn't Green Arrow's niece.

My french class was droning on and on, but every time I was asked a question _en français_ , I replied with ease, thankful that I took independent studies in order to be more useful in the field since being an apprentice of a Justice Leaguer takes us all over the world. I kept watching the clock, digging my nails into my desk as the seconds counted down. The moment the bell rang, I snatched up my books and made my way to my locker, carefully switching out my books to take my homework home. I took my things and slipped away before Dick noticed I was gone. I went into the bathroom in the bookstore across the street to change into a pair of jeans, and a black longsleeve, putting on a Gotham Knights baseball cap.

I walked across town to the designated coffee shop that I decided on since Selina doesn't know Bruce as well as she used to. The place had horrible coffee, so he would never see me here since he and I preferred good coffee. The only upside to this location, was that their pastries were delicious. So I sat with my backpack at a table in the corner, already having ordered a cinnamon roll and paying with cash as I waited for her to show up. I began to grow impatient as I barely touched the cinnamon roll. The clock above the baristas just kept ticking as the minutes flew by. Eventually, I ended up pulling out my phone and calling Wally. After the third ring, I was about to put my phone away, but I finally heard his voice answer.

"Hello?" He answered, and I had to admit, my heart was doing little relay races in my chest. My eyes wandered around the cafe, watching the baristas make coffees and the baker make the pastries off to the side.

"Uh, hi! It's Sylvia… er… you already knew that." I was getting completely awkward and we were only on the phone. He just laughed and I pushed my cinnamon roll around the plate with my fork.

"Hey, I'm at the Cave and Rob told me you're on the homecoming planning committee, and won't be at the Cave till later." Wally spoke quickly, I could hear his smile and it was making me do the same.

"Yeah, I have to do a bit of planning with Bette later." I replied, taking another bite of my cinnamon roll.

"Later? What are you doing now?" He questioned, my eyes going wide.

"Just hanging out with Bette, I'm starting some of my homework at her house." I lied, trying to sound as normal as possible, he just laughed.

"You're such a nerd sometimes." He joked and I remembered there was something I actually had to talk to him about.

"Hey, so speaking of my homecoming dance tomorrow and since we're best friends and I know you have a suit somewhere in your closet…" I started to ask him and he laughed once again.

"I would love to accompany you to your homecoming." He smiled and I was becoming excited, slowly taking my stress away from my impending meeting with my mother.

"It's a masquerade so I can get you a mask too. It starts at eight so you can come to mine at six thirty so we can be at Bette's by seven for pictures before the dance?" I told him, hoping to confirm when suddenly noticing a white limo pull up. The second the door opened, I saw her green eyes flashing at me. She walked out, dressed to the nines like a corporate business woman. She walked in and ordered a coffee before sitting down next to me.

"Okay, well I'll be there." He said in an elated tone. I just looked at Selina, not knowing exactly what to do at the moment. "Is everything okay?" He asked after a long pause.

"Yeah, I have to go but I'll call see you later for training." I just hung up and slipped my phone into the front of my pocket. She leaned back and crossed her legs.

"Who was that?" Selina asked, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. There was this interest twinkling behind her eyes.

"None of your business." I said quickly before taking another bite of my cinnamon roll. She just released a light chuckle.

"Oh come on, darling. I'm trying to be apart of your life and I can't if you shut me out." She started making this pouty face that was a bit awkward on a grown woman. I just gave in, feeling embarrassed to be associated with that face in public.

"Fine, it was the boy who is taking me to the homecoming dance tomorrow night." I let it slide as she grinned about that little detail. I couldn't help but smile with her.

"What's he like?" she questioned, genuinely interested in who I spend my time with.

"I mean, we're best friends." I sort of just shrugged it off, not necessarily wanting to talk about it to her. She just sat there with her mouth sarcastically agape.

"I want to know more about this best friend of yours that you think is worth enough to take you to homecoming." She just seemed to into this that it was throwing me off. She was so committed to staying out of my life before and now all she wants to do is be there.

"Well, he's always running his mouth, kind of like the class clown of our friend group." I began, slightly laughing. "He's a science genius while being super hyper most of the time so it's actually really fun when I hang out with him. There usually isn't a dull moment with him." I looked down at the cinnamon roll, not really knowing how I should be behaving right now, so I just took the last bite.

"That's adorable, and if you want another cinnamon roll, I'm thinking about getting one myself." She offered politely and I nodded.

"Sure, thanks." I responded quietly, checking my phone as she walked away. To my surprise, there were seventeen unread text messages. All were from Bette about an emergency with the caterer so I have to make a call since I'm the only highschooler on the committee that the companies actually take seriously, so I'm always the one doing the talking and making the important calls. I knew I had time before the restaurant closed, so I put my phone back in my pocket after responding to Bette saying that I would handle it.

"Everything alright?" Selina asked as she sat back down with two cinnamon rolls, placing one before me.

"Oh, yeah. Just some trivial stuff that comes with being on Social Committee. Our caterer is an idiot." I said with a smile, cutting into the cinnamon roll. Selina just smiled as I spoke, beginning her own cinnamon roll.

"Well I could help with that…" She offered, raising her eyebrows, her green eyes gleaming in a way that mine never do. It wasn't necessarily the color, but the way I could see her emotions through them. I just shook my head and half smiled.

"It's okay, I just have to make a call and if worse comes to worse, I have to pay their restaurant a visit, but I definitely have it handled." I assured her, taking another bite of the cinnamon roll. Selina seemed to have this idea pop into her head, her body language pointing towards reminiscing.

"You're so much like your grandfather Rex. He's got that kind of mentality when he's doing business." She seemed pleased with my taking after him, but my smile shrank. I was uncomfortable with this comparison in every sense.

"Rex Calabrese? Of the Calabrese crime family?" I inquired for better clarification, despite that I knew this for a fact, having done research on Selina Kyle as well as facial recognition in order to find out other things she's been involved with. I was positively thorough with my background research on her and surprisingly, not everything I learned was bad.

"Well, you've done your homework." Selina smirked as she cut another piece of her cinnamon roll. "I wouldn't expect anything less being your father's daughter." She added, seemingly pleased with my behavior so far. I peeked out the window next to us and and noticed the white limousine once again, driving down the street.

"Well, I didn't want to come into this completely in the dark about your past. It helps to have a lot of details." I responded, pulling off my baseball cap to push my hair back before putting it back on again.

"Makes sense." She said before leaning across the table and whispering. "I wouldn't trust me either." She whispered so quietly, but it was easy for me to pick it up with my enhanced hearing. "Criminal comes forward and says she's your mother doesn't exactly scream trustworthy. But I can assure you that I am telling you the truth and I promise I won't get in the way of your life. I just want to know my daughter." She spoke quietly, and it seemed genuine. Her heart didn't skip a single beat and stayed at a steady, relaxed pace.

"Don't worry about me thinking you're lying. I can actually hear your heartbeat, so you could say that I'm like a lie detector, side effect of being a lab rat." I replied in an equally low whisper. She seemed to find me extremely interesting, her demeanor changed completely after I said that.

"That's incredible. Like I said when we met, criminal life would come easy to you." She smiled, taking another bite of her cinnamon roll. I did the same as the two of us sat in silence. "But I wouldn't make that offer unless I actually believed you would accept, kitten." She nicknamed me and oddly enough, I just went with it, enjoying the idea.

"I don't think that would be any time soon but appreciate the high expectation." I smiled, finally feeling like I was clicking with her. The conversation came easy and she didn't even sound serious in offering the position and we were just relaxed, having a real conversation. I was having a real conversation with my _mother_ for the first time in my life.

"So, back to the important stuff," She took a breath, "like what you're dress looks like for tomorrow." She smiled, actually excited for my to go to highschool dance. I just opened up to her, happy to talk about something as simple as a dress. The conversation just flowed as the two of us just could not stop talking about things like fashion and how somethings are just so hard to pull of, even segwaying our conversation to ridiculous celebrities and music. We were there for about two hours when I got a call from Bette.

"I have to go, there's starting to be a lot more problems than just the caterer. It was nice to spend some time with you." I told Selina, getting up and putting our empty plates in the dirty dish pile by the trashcans.

"Likewise, I guess I'll be seeing you again sometime." She smiled, involuntarily hugging me. The two of us seemed awkward for a moment, but we just rolled with it. Waving goodbye as the white limousine appeared once again to pick her up. I grabbed my backpack and hailed a cab. On the ride over to Bette's, I called the caterer and had a conversation with the manager as well as the owner, threatening to take my business elsewhere. The second they fixed the issue of a wrong date a amount of each appetizer, I promised them to put them on the Wayne Foundation vendors list for galas and fundraisers. When the cab stopped, I paid the driver and ran up to Bette's door and let myself in.

"Thank god you're here, Artemis is on hold with the DJ. Apparently he was double booked and has to do the other event and the our order for decorations were messed up. They gave us pink and red streamers instead of white and silver as well as the balloons and confetti in the wrong colors." The blonde kept running her mouth and I just put my hands on her shoulders.

"Bette, breathe. Take a deep breath and calm down. I fixed everything with the caterer and if you put me on the phone with the DJ, I will only need five minutes before he's back on board with doing our event and the decorations are simple. I can have the store deliver the correct stuff to my house tomorrow morning and I'll bring it to the gym the moment I have it so we have enough time to set up." I promised her as she took her deep breathes. Artemis removed the phone from her ear and held it out in my direction.

"Oh my god, you're a life saver." Bette said with relief as I went to grab the phone from Artemis. I put the phone to my ear and immediately heard the hold music stop.

"It's Vince, so I am sorry but I can't DJ your event tomorrow, but I can guarantee forty percent off your next booking." I let the man finish before I said anything.

"I'm sorry, Vince is it? but you're going to have to make that offer to the other client because I can either blackball you in the performance industry, or ensure that you are the most sought after DJ in Gotham and surrounding cities." I stopped, waiting out the silence that followed as the imbecile on the other line took a minute to comprehend what I just said.

"You're just some high school student, you can't actually-" He was doubting me but I interrupted.

"You're going to stop talking, and you are going to listen because I'm only going to say this once. My name is Sylvia Wayne and before you ask, yes I am the daughter of Bruce Wayne. This means, if you choose us, I am your in to the gala, fundraiser, and party circuits for not just the Wayne Foundation and Enterprises, but all the major corporations with locations in and around Gotham. I will also be your connection to the personal party circuit of Gotham's elite. Do you understand?" I waited for him to respond and once again he was a bit slow comprehending. Bette and Artemis were looking at me with hope, both blondes pulling their hair.

"I understand. You want me to bring in my equipment at six?" He asked to confirm, suddenly changing his mind to appeal to our needs. I smiled at the girls and they silently celebrated, jumping up and down and dancing around the living room.

"If I'm going to supervise your setup, you will come in at five thirty to start setting up, just like the caterer because your employers are teenage girls that are attending this dance and we need time to get ready for it." I told him in a forceful tone, the girls dancing around the room, Bette suddenly jumping onto the couch and jumping on the cushions.

"Yes, ma'am." He replied quickly.

"Five thirty and not a second later." I spoke in a forceful tone before hanging up the phone. We all quickly celebrated by eating pizza on the roof of Bette's house for a bit while we all started our homework while I multitasked, calling the party store about the decorations. We hung around for an hour or two more before Artemis and I left to go home. I ditched my backpack in my room before making my way down to the Batcave, slipping on my uniform, and taking the Zeta-tube to the Cave.


	15. Homecoming

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham Academy**

 **September 25th, 2010**

I had woken up at the crack of dawn to meet the delivery guy for my multiple boxes of decorations. The second I signed for the packages, Alfred drove me and the decorations to the school so the rest of the Social Committee and I could set up. By the time we finished setting up the streamers and blowing up all of the balloons with helium and just normal oxygen. Even after setting up the tables with the shiny silver and white table cloths. The moment everyone was finished, Artemis, Bette and I met up with the other girls at the salon.

It was relaxing, getting my hair and nails done while someone did my makeup. The girls just sat there gossiping and talking about how excited they were about the dance. Bette was mainly excited because she scored the senior captain of the lacrosse team as her date, even setting Artemis up with his best friend for her date. By the time all of the primping was finished, I looked in the mirror to find someone who didn't really look like me, but looked a lot more like Selina. There was foundation and bronzer contouring my face while my emerald green eyes were coated with silver shadow and defined by black eyeliner and mascara. My lips were painted a dark red, giving me a more dramatic look. I twirled in front of the mirror as my hair hung in perfect curls. After stopping by the school to ensure the chaperones could handle supervising the caterer and the DJ setting up in the now beautifully decorated gymnasium. I had a little side thought about how you couldn't even tell there was a battle here with an android earlier this summer before being picked up by Alfred and driven home.

I could barely contain my excitement as I looked at my dress hanging on my closet door. I checked the clock, realizing that Wally would be here any minute now, so I put on the strapless skater dress. It clung to my small frame as I marveled at the bust, which had intricate silver and white beading on the bust before it faded out to the flared black skirt consisting of layered shiny black fabric that flowed in waves when I twirled. I slipped on a silver cuff that when activated became a holocomputer and a phone, usually used for undercover work but this was easier than bringing a phone and a purse. I put on my silver, metal masquerade mask and stepped into the white and silver stilettos that had intricate beading matching the bust of my dress.

"Miss Sylvia, Mr. West has arrived." Alfred said, knocking on my door. I took a deep breath and exited my room, Wally's silver mask in hand as I made my way down the hall. As I descended the stairs, my eyes immediately fell to the redhead standing in the middle of the front hall. His green eyes gleamed as they met mine. He wore a simple black suit, perfectly tailored to muscular build. His red hair was slicked back, slightly darker than usual. His white smile radiated as I stepped off the final stair.

"You look incredible, Kit-Kat." He complimented with a laugh before hugging me. When we pulled apart I gave him a good look up and down.

"Wallace Rudolph West, you clean up good." I complimented, running my hand over the perfectly done tie.

"Well I could look good in anything with you on my arm." He flirted, the two of us laughing as the two of us waved to my dad before heading out the door to the car with Alfred. The two of us sat in the back seat together as Alfred drove us to Bette's. I shifted in my seat to help him put on his mask, securing it before he turned to me.

"You look very handsome, Walls." I remarked, flashing him a smile. He tilted his head, making a confused face.

"You've never called me Walls." He laughed, commenting at the nickname as I smiled, glad that there was enough makeup to at least conceal the majority of my blushing.

"Just taking it out for a test drive." I replied quietly with a smile as the car slowed to a stop.

"I'll see the two of you later. If you need anything else, Miss Sylvia, just call." Alfred actually smiled as Wally got out and opened my door for me, reaching down and taking my hand to help my out of the car. My heels clicked and scraped against the concrete as Wally and I walked arm in arm up to Bette's front door.

"Well, here we go." I grinned widely, opening the door, leading Wally in with my hand in his. All of the girls were milling about as their dates all sat on the two sofas. Bette and Artemis immediately ran up to me, excited about the dance. Bette was in a dress similar to mine, but white with blue lace instead of beading. Artemis was like me and wasn't one for extreme frill, so she wore a simple, one shouldered red dress that clung to her with shiny fabric, the hem ending at just about her mid thigh. The two of them had masks and heels that perfectly matched their dresses.

"You look amazing." Artemis smiled before looking to Wally. "Who's your date?" She questioned as her date moved over and stood next to her, checking out Wally as well. I looked to Wally and he gave me the most mischievous grin on his face, making my heart skip a beat.

"My name's Barry, Barry Allen." He suddenly put his head up high as he spoke. I could barely stop myself from giggling.

" _Barry_ is visiting from Metropolis." The lie just rolled off my tongue. But it seemed entertaining for the others.

"Dude, have you ever seen Superman?" Bette's date, Roger, suddenly got all excited, a few people crowding around to listen, and Wally was loving every minute of it.

"Oh yeah, loads of times. He's everywhere since we have some heavy hitting supervillains. I've even seen Superboy. He's new but totally cool." Wally smiled, enjoying the attention. He's not one for making friends back in Central City. He's kind of a loser in Keystone High since he has to play himself down for obvious reasons.

"That's totally amazing. How did the two of you meet?" Bette seemed to be interrogating him, but he just laughed. But I didn't want him to answer.

"It's a long and embarrassing story and we have to take pictures before we go to the dance." I reminded her as I squeezed Wally's hand.

"Okay fine. Picture time!" Bette called out. Everyone automatically moving to the stairs as her mother set up with the camera at the bottom. Everyone found a stair and stood there with their date, smiling for the camera. After about six flashed, everyone piled into the limo that everyone chipped in for. Since there were so many of us, I ended up sitting on Wally's lap, him having a heyday when the limousine hit a bump in the road, sending me back into him. He put his arm around my and held me in place until the limo stopped in front of the school. Once again, he helped me out of the vehicle. The two of us walked hand in hand up the the school and into the gym.

The second we entered the gym, music washed over us. I could feel the bass in my chest as we delved deeper into the party. From every rafter and fixture hung silver and white streamers with a few black woven in to keep the balance. Balloons flew high and low all over the place. People were already dancing and having fun with the photobooth and enjoying the food provided by the caterers.

"Wow, you can barely tell that we battled Amazo in here." Wally gaped at the beautifully decorated gym.

"I know, I did good." I flashed a grin, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the dance floor. He twirled me around as the two of us began dancing. It was much easier for the two of us to just flow, no talking, just the two of us dancing together under the glowing purple and blue lighting. We were jumping around and moving to the beat together, triggering memories of the little dance parties the he, Dick and I used to have when we were younger. I remembered how Wally would convince Dick to let me pick the music every so often. After a few songs, we ran into my little brother and his high school partner in crime, Barbara Gordon.

"Hey there Wallman." Dick greeted Wally and I suddenly realized how far south the situation just turned.

"Wallman, huh? Isn't your name Barry?" I heard Artemis say as she approached the four of us.

"Middle name is Wallace. Hate it but Dick here makes fun of me for it by calling me Wallman." Wally defused the situation just as quickly as it started. She just laughed.

"I have a friend named Wallace and he knows how dorky his name is, especially when people find out he goes by Wally." Artemis laughed, and I started to stress out. The more they talked the higher the possibility that they recognized each other.

"Well I'm thinking we try out the photo booth, yeah." I grabbed Wally and Dick, dragging them off with Barbara following. Artemis when back to her date as the four of us got in the booth. My stress slipped away with each funny face and pose that I made with the others as the camera flashed. When we were finished, three copies came out. Wally, Dick and Barbara took them since I can just share with Dick. Just as Dick and Babs went back to the other freshmen, I heard Wally's stomach growl. I just gave him a look.

"What?" He laughed, trying not to look guilty. I grabbed his arm.

"Come with me." I smiled, taking him to the large tables of food.

"Kit-Kat, you rock my world." He looked like a kid in a candy store as he quickly grabbed bits of everything and consolidated them all onto one plate.

"Glad I could help." I laughed, grabbing myself two slider burgers. The two of us sat at one of the tables to eat together, laughing and joking around as Wally stuffed his face with appetizers and desserts. when he finally finished, we got back to dancing.

"We haven't danced together like this in so long." He spoke loudly over the music. I simply nodded in response as I felt the euphoria of this moment.

"I can't believe we haven't just cut loose like this since before the Team. We need to do something like this with them." I shared my idea as I breathed heavily, dancing in close quarters with the red head.

"I was mainly talking about us but yeah, a group thing could be fun too." He smiled as the song changed. We kept going for quite a few songs, the melodic serenity washing over my mind like a wave. It felt like we were dancing for hours when things began to slow down. The two of us just stood there for a moment, both of us not exactly sure how to handle ourselves. But his just put my hands on his shoulders as he put his own on my hips. We swayed with the music, slow dancing to the Coldplay song, _Fix You_.

Through the hole song, I had no idea what to do. I couldn't find any words as I kept silent, my eyes holding onto the sight of his tie. His hands slowly moved as the songs changed, pulling me closer to him as his hands slid away from my hips and rested on my lower back. The song suddenly picked up slightly, Wally taking one of my hands and twirled me out before pulling me back in. He dipped me before swinging me back up, forcing me to look up at him. I noticed a flash off to the side, but I didn't dare look away from Wally.

"When did you learn to dance like that?" I squeaked, becoming more and more nervous by the second.

"Dick made me tag along on some dance lessons. I guess I picked up a few things." He said in a low tone, his gaze not breaking away from me. My legs felt like jello as I tried not to move. I noticed he was drifting closer and closer to me. It felt like our faces were just a single inch away from each other. I was just about to end all of it by grabbing his tie and pulling him into me, but the second I moved my hand, my wrist beeped. I tapped the silver cuff and a little screen lit up in the metal.

"It's just an alert that we should keep an eye out, to convicts have disappeared from their cells in Arkham." I told Wally, his face completely flushed beneath his freckles.

"Almost as if on queue." Wally mumbled. The two of us ended up just patrolling the outside of the school until the dance was over. Neither of us said a word as the night slipped away from us. By the time the dance was over and Alfred came to pick us, Dick, and Barbara up, we had long since removed our masks. It felt like the longest car ride of my life, dropping Barbara off before all of us going home. I walked Wally down to the Batcave, the two of us completely silent as he programmed the Zeta Tube for Central City. Just before he walked through I decided to finally open my mouth.

"Wally." I caught his attention. He turned around, no longer flushed. The two of us just stood there for a moment as I froze. I suddenly began to step forward involuntarily. Before I knew it, he closed the gap, using his superspeed. Our lips met as he pulled me into him, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he ran a hand through my hair, his other hand pressing me into him. After a few moments, we pulled apart, our eyes meeting.


	16. Revelation

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **October 1st, 2010**

Wally, Artemis and I were in the kitchen, eating sandwiches at the glass table. For once, Wally was silent while Artemis and I were talking about interesting take downs we've had in our respective cities. To aid in her cover story, she actually Zetas to Star city and goes on Patrol with Green Arrow. We finally started comparing notes on redundant villains when Wally finally jumped in. Talking about Captain Cold stealing ice on the Fourth of July. After we finally finished our sandwiches, we decided to get up and get back to training. As we walked, I picked up a conversation between Kaldur and Robin from across the room.

"You know they're a couple, right?" Robin said, referring to M'gann and Superboy who were entering the training room with Wolf following closely behind them. I was nearly worried they were talking about Wally and I, but neither of us have spoken to each other since the night of the Homecoming dance. It seemed neither of us knew exactly how to behave around one another now that it was confirmed that the two of us felt the same way.

"I believe I knew before they did." Kaldur smiled as he spoke softly, his eyes carefully following the two before settling on Artemis.

"Do we tell them?" Robin seemed interested in bursting the bubble since Wally usually never stops flirting with M'gann and Artemis obviously thinks Superboy is attractive. But it's been different since homecoming. He hasn't flirted with her since the mission to India, but we haven't really talked, or have even been alone together since then either.

"It's not our place." Kaldur said quietly as Wally, Artemis and I approached the two who had just finished their training.

"So if Zatara is our babysitter of the week, why's he still here? And why's he eating my snacks?" Wally exclaimed as we all noticed Captain Marvel eating an energy bar while standing next to Zatara. Him as our den mother has been… interesting. The computer and Zeta Tube activated, drawing all of our attention.

 **Recognized:**

 _Batman 02._

"Computer, national news." Batman said quickly as he marched into the center of the Cave. A massive holoscreen appeared, showing us the famous reporter Cat Grant, live in Metropolis.

"The initial attack was short-lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve." She began as the scene switched to an aerial view of a massive plant. It crushed an entire building to dust as she began reporting once again. "And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight." She reported as a clip of Superman, Hawkwoman, and Green Lantern rolled. They were fighting the plant creature as it just continued to fight back.

"Should we get out there?" Robin asked as Batman paused the footage. I felt Wally stand next to me, his taught shoulder brushing with mine.

"No. The League will soon have the situation under control. That's not why I'm here." He paused and image of Sportsmaster appearing on the screen. "According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus' blockbuster formula to Kobra." Batman began leaving enough of a gap for us to pick up the trail.

"Who combined it with Bane's venom to create Kobra venom." Wally reminded us as the gears started turning among the group.

"Which the brain used to create his animal army." Robin added, picking up the pieces.

"And upgrade wolf." Superboy smiled as he scratched Wolf under the chin.

"The Brain also used inhibitor collars like the ones at the penitentiary." M'gann added, knowing that all of the details couldn't just be coincidences. I began shifting on my feet, not just from the tension with Wally, but from the stress of everything we're putting together from every single mission we've been on.

"Batman, is it possible that plant thing's on Kobra venom, too?" Artemis asked, her demeanor just as worried as mine. The two of us were the only ones visibly on edge. The others seemed more into the process of putting two and two together about the coincidences.

"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis. The vine cellulose does contain trace amounts of a Kobra venom variant." Batman explained as he showed us all a molecular mapping of the sample taken from the plant. I was pretty sure that Wally and maybe Robin and I were able to really understand the model.

"These cannot be coincidences, unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide." Kaldur finally spoke what I was sure everyone else was thinking. I looked over and saw Robin typing on the holocomputer. I wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, but I just focused on the briefing.

"Exactly. It's now clear our enemies have formed some kind of secret society of super villains.

The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning." Batman spoke in all seriousness, his voice lowering an octave.

"You got that right." Robin said as I realized he was surfing the internet for news updates having to do with the plants. "Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham city, Paris, Star City, Taipei-" He was putting up footage of all of the cities at once before every screen went to static, confusing everyone in the room.

"Dude." Wally said as Robin tried to fix it.

"It's not me. Someone's cutting in the satellite signal." He tried to fix it, trying to hack back against the disturbance in connection but a surprised look rolled across his face. "All satellite signals." He reported as Batman whipped around to look at the screens. Suddenly, every screen flickered until we were looking at five identical closeups of the Joker with his massive and devious grin. My heart skipped a beat, and not in a good way. He reached up and tapped the camera. I took in a sharp breath, Wally closing the gap between us and holding my hand discretely.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you _this_ important announcement," He spoke in a deeply hushed tone as he pulled out a switchblade, the camera panning out to six others, "from the _In_ justice League." He couldn't stop himself from chuckling, chills running down my spine.

"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities." The blonde man in the middle spoke with a thick eastern European accent. I recognized him as Count Vertigo of Vlatava, the villain every hero hated due to him having diplomatic immunity. But that will only last for so long if he does commits treason of Vlatavan soil. "If you wish to save them, a ransom of ten billion American dollars is required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But the longer your governments wait…" He trailed off, the Joker grabbing the camera and pulling it to view him once again.

"The more we get to have our... _jollies_." The Joker said before he fell into a laughter, the signal cutting back to static. Batman tapped his comm, receiving a message from the Justice League.

"Roger that, Aquaman. The UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it won't come to that." Batman stated to himself as Robin rewound the video, pausing on the villains.

"Count Vertigo, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Atom, Wotan.

7 heavy hitters." Robin informed us all as the computer recognized them. This was nearly unheard, villains working together across the board.

"Probably behind everyone and everything we've faced." I remarked in a low tone, glaring at the still Poison Ivy. She and the Joker were the Arkham escapees that interrupted Wally and I and the Homecoming dance.

"There's your secret society." Wally commented, squeezing my hand before nonchalantly letting go.

"Not so secret anymore." Artemis added, glaring at the screen of villains.

"Perhaps after India they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer." Kaldur rationalized, but I didn't think it added up. None of the criminals on the screen seemed capable of carrying out some of the aspects that we've come across in our time as a team, and it definitely doesn't explain Cadmus or the League of Shadows.

"Yeah, that was their mistake. Right now I say we go kick some plant creature butt." Wally was trying to get everyone pumped and out of our state of worry and confusion, he even put his fist to his hand, like he was ready for anything that was thrown at him.

"The Justice League will handle the plants. I have a different job for this team." Batman quickly shut him down, but I was beginning to see what he was sending us into.

"Oh, man." Wally was disappointed, but Artemis and I had the same thought, both of us elbowing him.

"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it." Batman said, Robin and my eyes widening at his words. We seemed to be the only one's besides Zatare to recognize what we were about to do.

"You realize what you're really asking them to do." Zatara seemed nervous about sending us in.

"They're ready." Batman said simply, and I couldn't help but question his authority.

"You really think we're ready to take on some of the most ruthless and violent villains on this planet?" I pointed to the screen as I raised my eyebrows, my eyes still hanging wide. Everyone else was finally catching on, becoming just as nervous as I was.

"Well, Batman, I trust you're correct." Zatare seemed just as nervous as we were.

"I trust _you_ can locate the enemy." Batman used Zatara's words, but I knew from experience that he did mean them.

"Indeed. Wotan's informants suggest sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled." Zatara seemed wary but we knew he was more than capable of finding the control centers. "Robin, if you will provide a holo-map, I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity." Zatara politely ordered Robin, a holographic earth suddenly taking shape in the center of the room. "Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!" His voice suddenly became powerful, echoing all over the cave. Suddenly, a red pinpoint appeared on the holomap in the southeastern United States. "There. That is where you will find the Injustice League's central control system." Zatara confirmed, positive of his capabilities. I was surprised that Wally wasn't making some comment about magic not being real and that the Justice League already knew where the epicenter was, but he remained silent, his shoulder brushing mine.

"Coordinates locked in. The Louisiana bayou." Robin confirmed for the rest of us.

"We are on our way." Kaldur stated as we all ran to suit up, not wasting a single second.

* * *

 **Bayou Bartholomew, Louisiana**

It wasn't long before we were closing in on the coordinates, the sun setting in the distance, coating everything in sight with hues of pink and orange. We had Wolf in the back of the Bioship, sitting behind Superboy. Everyone had their computer consoles before them as we all kept tabs of the News reports about the plants. Kid Flash and I were sitting next to each other, sharing music while he ate a banana.

"What's in the duffel?" Kid asked Aqualad as Robin checked his programable disks. I, too, noticed the duffle bag at Aqualad's feet. None of us saw what he put in the bag, but not everyone really wanted to question our fearless leader at a time like this.

"Plan B." He said plainly. M'gann suddenly let out pained sighed, putting a hand to her head.

"You all right?" Superboy immediately asked.

"Dizzy." She said, looking to the Kryptonian.

"Martians get airsick?" Robin asked as everyone turned to our pilot.

"She does look a bit greener than usual." Kid remarked, but I just elbowed him in the side.

"Not me, her." M'gann corrected, looking at the floor.

"I feel fine." Artemis and I replied at the same time, both looking at eachother like one of us might be lying.

"Not you two, the Bioship." M'gann's eyes grew wide. "She's trying to shield us, but-" M'gann was cut off as the ship spun out of control, slipping out of camouflage mode. I glanced outside the window as I braced for impact, seeing Count Vertigo and Black Adam. I noticed Vertigo say something, Black Adam suddenly flying high into the air and punching the Bioship, sending us hurtling into the bog below. We all exhaled as we stopped crashing. Superboy was holding onto Wolf and KF was holding onto me. We both shared a look before we pushed apart. Suddenly, the ship began to sink as vines shot out of the water, taking hold of us and pulling the ship under. Black Adam ripped a hole in the top of the hull, causing M'gann to scream.

"He's hurting her!" She shouted just before Superboy punched him, sending him flying away from the ship, but the plants kept pulling us under, water gushing in from the breach. Robin and I immediately pulled rebreathers out of our tool belts. I pulled out an extra one for Wally and handed it to him as Artemis complained.

"No. No _way_ I'm nearly drowning three missions in a row." She stated as she pulled out her own, sticking it into her mouth.

"M'gann, we need to get out. Open a hatch." Superboy finally got our resident Martian's attention.

"Hello, M'gann. Of course."M'gann shifted to have gills, swimming below and finally opening a hatch.

"Out. Everyone out." Aqualad ordered as he was the only one able to speak under water. We all swam the best we could, following Aqualad's lead before walking out onto the shore of the bog. We all watched from the trees as the plant creature pulled the ship below.

"She's in shock. She'll need time to recover." M'gann said before a wave of pain and disorientation washed over me. Everyone was screaming and crying out as we all crumbled to the ground.

"Vertigo." Kid exclaimed as he he was the only one able to resist as much as he was.

"Count Vertigo to you, peasant." Vertigo corrected him, his neurological transmitter still discombobulating the rest of us. Superboy got up, but Black Adam knocked him onto his back. Aqualad though quickly on his feet, using his water bearers to blast the Count away into the treeline.

 _Robin, Miss Martian, disappear. We will keep them busy. You two fulfill the mission objective._ Aqualad ordered as I shared a look with my brother. I could have been ordered to go with them, seeing as I have been trained with the art of stealth, but I guess it makes sense since it would be less noticeable at first if only two were to disappear. Aqualad turned back around, only to be punched in the face by Adam. But Wolf attacked Adam as the rest of us recovered from Vertigo. But Adam threw Wolf at us. The massive canine knocked over Artemis and Wally, but I quickly dove out of the way. I charged Adam and used my agility to dodge his blow, ejecting my claws and ranking them across his face. It only seemed to blind him for a moment as I backed up and gave him a swift kick to the head, sending him onto his back. I pounced onto him, my instincts taking over. I almost tried to dig my claws into his throat, but I was knocked away by Vertigo, my hands going to my head as Adam grabbed my leg and flung me into the ground. I blacked out as Vertigo spoke.

"Two are missing." He snapped.

* * *

"They awaken." I heard as I opened my eyes to a golden, glowing cage. I was sprawled out on the floor of it, my legs draped over an unconscious Kid Flash. "You're certain this will hold them?" I recognized the voice as Count Vertigo. He must be standing atop the cage.

"The cage is impenetrable. Even the Superboy has no chance of escaping." I looked out and saw Wotan, using his mystic might to contain us. But when I checked the bars, I realized how stupid they really were. Once again, my dainty frame would prove useful in escape. I silently pushed myself behind Wolf, hiding from obvious sight.

"You are not the only one trained in the mystic arts, Wotan." I heard Aqualad say as he tried to use his Atlantean sorcery to free us, but it failed.

"Please, Atlantean, do not pretend you're in my League." Wotan bragged as we flew. I peaked under and saw Black Adam, supporting the extra weight of the cage for Wotan. He had his back to me, so I took the opportunity to turn sideways, getting my shoulders through as I squeezed the rest of myself through, it not being as bad as during the Red Fiasco. In complete silence, I gave an awakening Kid Flash a look, mouthing the words, _I'll be back_ , before silently dropping back from the cage, free falling to the trees. The wind rushed past my ears as I zoned in on the trees, easing my decent but grabbing hold and swinging, using my momentum to leap from tree to tree, following the cage with my advantage of freedom. As I followed the cage, I passed Robin and M'gann, sharing a single look with them as I pursued to ensure the safety of the others. Out of no where, the Bioship slammed into Wotan, distracting him long enough for the cage to dissipate. Everyone fell from the sky, landing in the mud below. Black Adam caught Count Vertigo, but that apparently was the wrong choice.

"Not me! Stop those delinquents." He ordered the superhuman as he safely descended the fragile human.

"I hate monkeys." I heart Superboy say as he and Wolf attacked Ultra Humanite. Poison Ivy was willing plants to attack Artemis and Aqualad. They both reached for their weapons before Artemis groaned, finding her bow and quiver missing.

"I feel naked. And not in a fun way." Artemis complained, making me laugh as I charged Vertigo with Kid Flash.

"We will make our own fun, as we have been trained. Maneuver 7." Aqualad said as he locked his hands together, launching Artemis high into the air so she can attack Ivy. Vertigo tried to slow Kid and I down, but I reached for the ground and flung warm, wet mud in his face, distracting him while Kid sped in for the attack, but Black Adam swatted him away like he was nothing before grabbing me and throwing me in the same direction. I slammed into a tree and crumbled to the ground.

"Where are Robin and the Martian?" Vertigo asked as Aqualad and Artemis fought Ivy. but she stopped in her tracks.

"My baby." She gasped, everyone seeing the giant plant antenna lit up like a Christmas tree. The red lights turned green as the explosives primed. The second the blew, the plant fell, screeching as it burned. M'gann and Robin stood before the flames, completely nonchalant about their victory.

"Timber." Robin said simply with his arms crossed. Ivy screamed and went to attack them with vines, but M'gann shredded them with her telekinesis. But Robin and M'gann were chased off the dome as Atomic Skull fired at them with his energy. I pulled myself out of the mud and sprinted for the Joker, digging my claws into the side of the building to climb up at an alarming speed.

"Children? Children foiled our plan?" Joker questioned as I climbed. "Inconceivable. Unacceptable! Retributionable! That last one might not be a word. _So sue me_." His voice flip flopped from angry and serious to joking and hysterical as I charged him.

"Kill them. Kill them all." Count Vertigo ordered as I tackled Joker, digging my claws into his arms as I dragged him off the roof and back down into the bog.

"You're so adorable, Kitten! Would be a shame if someone were to hurt that pretty little head of your's!" Joker laughed as he pulled out a knife. Everyone was fighting for their lives around me as I duked it out with the Joker. I shredded parts of his suit as he pulled out dueling switch blades, swinging them at me savagely as he laughed.

"Enough!" Wotan yelled, energy exploding from him. One by one, we all went down as electricity flowed through us. Joker laughed as I could no longer bite back the pain. I fell to my knees, shrieking as memories flooded my mind. I clawed at my throat, suddenly feeling like I was drowning as I panicked. The higher and more shrill my scream became, the more the Joker got irritated, shoving his hand over my mouth as he shoved me deeper into the mud, pulling out his knife again. He was just about to jam it into my side when Aqualad did something unexpected.

"The helmet of Fate." Wotan marveled as he stopped electrocuting us. I threw Joker off of my and grabbed his arm, throwing him to Count Vertigo.

"No, Aqualad, don't!" I heard Kid yell as Aqualad put on the golden helmet. Black Adam punched kid into a tree, the impact making a horrible _crack_.

"Kid!" I screamed, running over to him through the mud as a golden light flashed, Aqualad becoming Doctor Fate.

"Oh, dude." Kid said with worry as he got up, looking at Aqualad. I touched his arm as he clutched it, him wincing in pain.

"Wotan, you are mine." Doctor Fate said in an octave even lower and more nerve racking than Batman. The two of them began duking it out above as I checked Kid's arm. I looked over at Robin and saw the Joker.

"Wonderboy, you are mine." Joker imitated Doctor Fate before laughing and swinging his knife. Robin dodging the blows with flips and ducks. "Always wanted to carve this bird." He said in a deep voice as he attacked my little brother.

"Artemis! Help Kid!" I told her as I ran to Robin. She nodded and took my place as I charged the clown. He pulled out another knife and ran after my little Robin. The battle went on around me as I put myself between Robin and The Joker, one of his knives piercing my shoulder, but it was just soft tissue. No serious damage.

"How dare you, Kitty? I just wanted my Thanksgiving!" He laughed looking past me at Robin as I ducked back, dodging another slash of his knife. Robin went to help M'gann as I kept Joker from going after him, slashing my claws at him, managing to draw blood on his cheek and arm.

"Maybe I'll carve you!" I shocked myself with that statement as my instincts took over. I pounced on him, pressing my claws into his neck as I drew back my other hand for another blow. Blood was pouring from his neck as I raked my claws across his chest. But I was quickly distracted by the intervention of the Justice League above. Joker plunged one of the knives into my abdomen as he stood up. I stopped cold, my eyes wide as he twisted the knife inside of me, the pain excruciating. He leaned in and whispered, "I got you to lose control again, he'll be so disappointed." His laughter roared in my ears as my father pulled him off of me. I looked up at the entire Justice League as I grew weaker, my hand lightly touching the twisted knife in the left side of my abdomen. I watched off to the side as the villains crowded into circle as the League surrounded them.

"It's over." Batman stated. He didn't even notice the knife, the clown being too close to me for the handle to be visible.

"There will be another day." I heard Vertigo surrender as I staggered over to where I saw Kid. He was distracted, looking at the villains in the center.

"Another day? Another day? There will be another day! Not for any of us." Joker yelled, finally in his kamikaze mode. He roared in laughter as each slow step became labored as I pushed on for Wally. Blood was seeping out of the plugged wound, bit by bit.

"Joker venom spores! Don't breathe!" Batman yelled as he punched the Joker, knocking him out as gas poured into the air.

"Fear not. Fate has intervened." Doctor Fate said as he absorbed to fumes into his golden Ankh. The second I stumbled, falling to the mud, Superman caught me, the only one fast enough to get there before I went face first into the mud.

"Cat!" I heard Kid yell as he ran over to me.

"Wildcat?" He questioned me as I groaned in pain. He turned me around, finally seeing the knife plugging up wound in my abdomen. "Batman!" He called, laying me down on my back as other heroes rounded up the villains. I kept my hand on the knife as Superman went to pull it out. I shook my head as my father rushed over.

"Let him take it out." Batman said to me before giving me this look. It wasn't disappointment, like I was afraid of, but worry. I felt KF slip my hand into his as the others were forced to ignore me, taking care of the villains. I noticed my father share a look with the man of steel before his gloved hand covered my mouth. I tried not to scream as Superman removed the knife. But I wasn't as successful when he decided to use his heat vision to cauterize it. The second I was sat up, Wally stormed off to Aqualad.

"What were you thinking? How could you let him put on the helmet? Nabu will never release him will be trapped inside Doctor Fate forever." Wally looked down as Superman helped me up.

"X-ray vision let me know that it didn't puncture anything vital, but you were bleeding internally. Now that it's cauterized, you should be fine until you get back to the Cave's Medical Center." Superman promised as I watched Wally, he was upset with the belief that Aqualad was gone forever. After a moment of silence, the Lanterns flying away with the villains, Doctor Fate reached up and pulled of the helmet. In a flash of light, it was Aqualad again.

"Nabu let you go?" I heard Wally whisper, a smile now on his face.

"He almost did not, but your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello." Aqualad smiled.

"We're done here." Batman got everyone's attention. "The super villain secret society has been neutralized. As for your performance, it was satisfactory." Batman graded us and for once, it wasn't a _good job_ or _there's still room for improvement_. I smiled weakly as Wally and I shared a look. Today was one of our most important tests, and we passed despite some major setbacks.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I have _finally_ received a review! Thank you so much! But if you guys reading this could, please review! It would be most helpful!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	17. Humanity

**Author's Note:**

 **Guest: Thank you so much for being the first to review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I was actually about to scrap it before you posted your review, so I thank you**

 **Destroyer of All (guest): I'm happy you liked my other story! I'm doing my best to keep updating frequently, but I'm having less and less time now that I'm starting my junior year of highschool. But I promise I'll do my best!**

 **Angela (guest): I don't think that hating clown but loving the joker is weird, he's my unhealthy obsession. Also like I said with Destroyer of All, I'm doing my best to keep updating frequently!**

 **I'm glad you're all enjoying the story and I hope more of you review!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **October 10, 2010**

"Pineapple juice?" Captain Marvel offered Wally in his recliner as everyone else around him was training. Sure, I would love to sit out and just relax for once, give myself a break from the stinging pain in my side that I received every time I lifted my arms or bent back. But Wally just slurped the juice through a straw.

"Just what the Doctor ordered." Wally said as he reclined a bit further. I couldn't help but sneak glances at him as I sparred with Superboy. Artemis was sparring with Robin at the moment and M'gann was doing the same with Aqualad.

"How's the arm doing, Wally?" Captain asked, hovering over Wally like this was the most interesting thing to happen to him all week. Superboy swung his fist and I ducked, sucking in a sharp breath as I rolled between his legs and stood up, doing a back handspring to avoid his high kick.

"Well, nothing wrong nachos can't cure." Wally responded, meeting my glance and smiling. I rolled my eyes and got back to the sparring. I did a front tuck, straightening my legs and connecting them with Superboy's chest, knocking him back just before I landed in a crouch.

"Nachos? Oh! I'll go get you some." Captain Marvel got excited as he flew away, just in time for Robin to get knocked on his stomach by Artemis. I let out a slight chuckle before Superboy swung at me again, the blow coming a little too close. But, I grabbed his arm and vaulted into an aerial.

"Good work, everyone. In fact, it's been a very productive week." Black Canary complemented as I pulled Superboy's left leg with one arm and elbowed him in the stomach with the other, putting him flat on his back.

"Yeah, for everyone except kid malingerer." Artemis quipped as she and Robin stopped sparring. He was done getting tossed around by her. For once, he had had an opponent besides me that was just as agile and quick thinking as he was. Sure, we were still in training with Batman, but Black Canary still had a few tricks up her sleeve that she could use to hold her own against Batman in a fight.

"Hey! Arm broken in combat against the Injustice League here!" Wally defended, waving his white cast for everyone to see. I held back laughter.

"Yeah, but as I recall, your legs aren't broken. I was stabbed and I'm still training." I told him, and he was taken aback. Neither of us have really said a word to each other in a while, the awkwardness getting to us. It was evident that we had no idea what to do. We were best friends for so long and just like that, we kissed, changing everything. I heard Black Canary chuckle from the middle of the group.

"I've really enjoyed being your, uh, _den mother_ this week." She remarked as everyone heard the computer announce a Zeta Arrival.

 **Recognized:**

 _Zatara 11._

The Zeta Tube whirred as the magician appeared in a flash of golden light. None of us were really expecting him, but he didn't even say anything as he walked over to the zeta control panel, typing something in as the tube reactivated.

 **Access Granted:**

 _Zatanna Zatara A03._

 _ **Authorization:**_ _Zatara 11_

"Zatanna, this is the team. Team, my daughter, Zatanna." Zatara introduced with his italian accent. As the tube whirred, a girl about my height and build came out, her cyan colored eyes unsteadily looking around the room. She wore a white collared shirt with a black bolo tie, and matching black skirt and blazer. M'gann got excited and immediately flew over to the wavy haired girl.

"Hi! I'm-" M'gann was about to introduce herself, but my dork of a little brother stepped in front of her.

"Robin!" He said a bit loudly before clearing his throat. "I mean, I'm Robin. She's M'gann, and that's Wally, Sy- I mean Wildcat, Artemis, Kaldur, and Conner." He introduced as I swatted the back of his head for almost saying my name. I struggled to hold back laughter that Robin could keep Batman's identity a secret to every villain who's ever tried to interrogate him, but the second a pretty girl walks inas Wally walked up behind me, stealthily slipping his hand into mine. But it was a bit awkward it being in a cast and all.

"And here I thought you were the smooth one." I whispered sarcastically, making Wally laugh as we all checked out the new girl. Robin was a bit overeager, considering Zatanna was the only one Wally wouldn't go for considering her age and her father.

"Welcome to the Cave." Aqualad said as she continued to look around at all of us with uncertainty.

"Thanks." She finally seemed relieved that we were welcoming her.

"So, uh, ar-are yo-you joining the team?" Robin couldn't get a grip on himself, he was so excited about her, but Zatara stepped in.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He began, taking off his heat as a sign of respect. "This is strictly a visit. But I am sorry we missed the training. It's something from which Zatanna could benefit." He finished as I felt the usual wave in my mind from being psychically linked up.

 _Do the rest of you get the impression we're still on probation with Zatara?_ M'gann looked to the rest of us, her eyes narrowed.

 _Not just Zatara. I mean, why is Marvel still hanging around?_ Conner added, the gestures making suspicions with Zatanna. I looked at the small girl and she was tracking who was speaking without actually being in the group. I had a strange feeling she knew about our conversation.

 _Because we like having him around._ Wally defended the stay of the immature Justice Leaguer. But I just elbowed him in the stomach. He immediately smirked and squeezed my hand before letting go.

 _You like having him around 'cause he waits on you hand and foot._ Artemis smirked at Wally. We all knew he was taking advantage of the Leaguer.

 _He literally does everything you say._ I added to Artemis's statement, a little annoyed that he had his own personal slave for a broken arm.

 _And your point is?_ Wally made a face, eyes wide, eyebrows up and his lips pursed. He was enjoying the attention, knowing that kind of stuff wasn't going to come from me.

 _It almost makes one nostalgic for Red Tornado's tenure as our supervisor._ Aqualad looked at the ground.

 _Yeah. At least he trusted us._ Robin commented, looking off into the distance. Zatanna leaned around him, scanning everyone's faces with calculating eyes.

 _Well, trusted us the best way a machine could…_ I suddenly had a thought appear from the word machine.

 _If you ignore the fact we shouldn't have trusted him! He was a traitor. That machine nearly got all of us killed._ Superboy raised his voice, Red Tornado being a touchy subject for him. Zatanna started walking up to the center of the group with an angry look.

"Are you guys having a psychic conversation?" Zatanna called attention to it in such a way that it ensured Black Canary and Zatara would hear. Both of them stopping and looking at us with silent worry, their faces saying it all. "'Cause I can't decide if that's cool or really rude." She leaned over on one leg, seemingly defeated by our possibly rude manners.

"All right. Fine. We were talking about Tornado. It's been _weeks_ since his attack, and the League hasn't told us _anything_." Conner seemed angry at first, but he too looked defeated as he waved his hand as a gesture to the League keeping secrets about Tornado.

"The League is searching for Tornado, as well as the other androids that invaded the Cave and their creator, T.O. Morrow. Batman's made tracking them down our highest priority." Black Canary explained with a remorseful look. She acted just as uneasy and doubtful as the others had when the search began.

"But you've found none of the above." Robin snapped, stepping forward to the two Leaguers.

" _Not yet,_ but Tornado is Justice League. The team is _not_ to pursue this." Canary became commanding, but the more she said no, the more I wanted to look for him. Considering she's our resident _therapist_ , the reverse psychology was working whether she wanted it to or not.

"Why don't you all take Zatanna on a, uh, a tour of the... Cave?" Zatara began looking around the room for his daughter. All of us seemed to be at the same level of confusion before the sound of Wolf's snores overcame the silence. We all looked over to find her on the floor, leaning up against Wolf as she ran her fingers through his snow white fur. But the dog sniffed the air, leaving her on the floor.

"You're giving a tour? Cool!" Captain Marvel walked in with a massive plate of delicious smelling nachos that made my mouth water. I was ready to steal some of those from Wally as Wolf sat down obediently in front of the Leaguer like he was going to give him the plate.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd take Wolf outside. He needs the exercise. We'll join you in a few." I heard a falter in Superboy's heartbeat. He was lying, thinking on his feet. I was getting excited as I started to put together what we were finally going to do.

"Sure, sure. I can do that. Come on, Wolf!" Captain Marvel ran off with the plate of nachos and the canine trailing behind him, hoping to eat the nachos.

"Wha-what? M-my nachos!" Wally acted like a five year old that lost his christmas present. I grabbed his hand and pulled him with the rest of us as we left the mission room to _take a tour_. As we walked past the kitchen, Zatanna moved to the front of the group, suddenly wearing a purple tank top and white jeans.

"When did you... How did you…?" Robin was just as confused as he was enamored with this girl. But she just pushed on.

"We're not really taking a tour, are we?" She drones, not in the mood for something so trivial.

"No. We're hunting down that robot." Conner said before looking over his shoulder to Kaldur for our leader's confirmation.

"Yes, we are." Kaldur nodded, actually surprising Zatanna as the whole group stopped walking.

"Oh, wow. Out loud and everything." Zatanna said with a hint of sarcasm, her eyebrows knitting as she smirked.

"What about new girl?" Artemis said with worry, not wanting to get in trouble before we even get to Tornado.

"I'm sure she won't tell." Rob shrugged, but I looked to Zatanna staring her down. She looked away from me and gave Robin a smug look.

"I can't tell." She started with her hands on her hips. "Not if you kidnap me." She smirked, Robin and Artemis gaining big smiles.

"Oh, she's going to fit in great." Artemis put her hands on her hips, her face saying it all for once. Everyone turned and hurried to the Bioship. The second we were strapped in and in the air, Black Canary radioed in.

"M'gann, the Bioship wasn't authorized for departure." We heard Black Canary's voice come on the speakers of the ship.

"We're kidnapping Zatanna-" M'gann laughed before catching herself. "To... show her Happy Harbor. Be back soon!" She lied so easily. It could have raised suspicion, but Batman wasn't in the Cave, so we were safe.

"Roger that. Have fun." Canary replied before the line was cut. We were getting away with this so far, and that was all we needed.

"Where are we going? Batman is the world's greatest detective, and he searched for Tornado and morrow in every logical location. If we're going to do better, we need an illogical solution." Robin looked back at Wally and me with a smile. "A truly dumb idea." I looked to Wally, who was finally in his Kid Flash uniform, and he smiled.

"As a matter of fact." He started, discretely slipping his hand back into mine between the chairs. I couldn't help but smirk, Robin's eyes meeting mine in confusion.

* * *

 **Belle Reve**

"Warden Strange owed us a favor for stopping last month's prison break. He's given us five minutes with you." M'gann said as we all stood before Professor Ivo.

"Spill, Ivo. How do we find T.O. Morrow and his Reds?" Superboy stepped forward, putting his fist down on the table as a scare tactic towards Ivo.

"Now, why in the world would I know how to find Morrow?" Ivo gave us all a weird look, shrugging his shoulders slightly. Unfortunately for me, it was a simple question, he can't actually be lying. So I just have to wait for the right statements to come out.

"Because, _and here's a truly dumb idea_ , you're Morrow's biggest competitor in the evil android game. Who better to keep track of what he's up to, and where?" Kid Flash questioned, proud of his illogical idea, and judging from the smile crossing Ivo's lips, he's right.

"Ah, I see your point. So let me rephrase. Why in the world would I _tell you_ how to find Morrow?" Ivo smirked as he leaned forward, folding his hands. I looked back at Zatanna, and she seemed a lot more into this than I expected. She had these cold and calculating eyes that mulled over Ivo

"He knows. Do what you must." Aqualad said to M'gann as he stepped forward. She acknowledged and closed her eyes, then opening them with a glow of green, but Ivo just began to laugh.

"Oh, please. As if I've never faced a telepath before." He bragged, but Zatanna was suddenly standing next to him. She bent down and simply opened her mouth.

"Trulb tuo s'worrom eurt noitacol!" She spoke forcefully, her voice suddenly echoing as the words fell out of her mouth.

"Morrow's in a secret underground base beneath Yellowstone National Park, one hundred meters south of Old Faithful." Ivo looked down at his mouth, like he didn't know why he was speaking. Everyone stopped cold as Zatanna narrowed her eyes, everyone taken aback by her easy interrogation. "Wait. What just happened?" Ivo stood up, looking around at us in fear and confusion as Zatanna stood tall, her hands on her hips as she looked triumphant.

* * *

 **En route to Yellowstone National Park**

"Black out all external communication. Soon, Canary and Zatara... Batman, too I imagine... Will know of our visit with Professor Ivo. We haven't much time." Aqualad reminded us as we flew in the Bioship. I was hugging my knees in my chair as I mentally prepared myself for combat. Deliberate defiance is not something I want on my conscience in a fight against three massive androids and possibly whatever else Morrow has cooked up in his lab.

"Look. I'm trying to be all nonchalant here." Robin was half laughing as he spoke, still intimidated by the girl.

"Why? Be as chalant as you like." She said to him, a smile growing on his face. I kept myself from groaning. Now there were two that liked to mess with their words.

"I think we're all just trying to get a handle on your powers." Artemis said, Robin obviously stuck in his own little world that naturally revolves around Zatanna. "Could you teleport us to Tornado, or Morrow to a cell, or force his bots to surrender?" Artemis asked, but Zatanna laughed.

"Or create peace on earth for all time? Zatara couldn't even do all that, and I'm nowhere near on my dad's level. I need to know a spell cold, or else have time to prep it. Plus, all magic requires energy, which usually has to come from within. I just can't make the impossible happen at will." She explained with ease for us since most were just curious about what Zatanna could help us with.

"What's our E.T.A. to Yellowstone? I'm way past ready to stuff Tornado into a trash compactor." Superboy leaned forward in his chair, refusing to look anyone in the eye. He was always fumin when it came to Red Tornado and the red fiasco.

"Are you so certain he betrayed us?" Aqualad asked, maintaining his cool from behind Superboy.

"Aren't you?" The Kryptonian raised his voice.

"I am not convinced. And even so, that makes him but the victim of his creator's programming.

Certainly, he deserves a chance to prove he's more than the weapon others designed him to be." Aqualad spoke in such a way that Superboy took a deep breath, sitting up straight in his seat. Like he had something to prove.

* * *

"Stealth mode." Aqualad ordered as the Bioship landed. He pressed the icon on his belt, his red tanktop turning the usual dark grey. Wally tapped his uniform, the yellow becoming black and dark red. Artemis touched her icon, her new suit now capable of stealth most with dark green and grey. Miss Martian morphed her clothes to the usual black uniform and blue cape. Robin and I didn't need stealth tech since we were trained to disappear. "I recommend you stay behind." Aqualad said to Zatanna as the back of the ship opened.

"Is that an order?" She questioned with her hands on her hips, her eyebrows raised.

"No. You must do as you see fit." Aqualad shook his head, knowing that she was invested in working with us.

"Good." She bent down, like she was reaching for her toes. "Emit ot yrt tuo eht en kool!" She cast as she stood up, silvery blue smoke swirling around her until it was revealed that she had changed once again. She stood there in a costume similar to her father's. The only differences being the fitting, black mini shorts, grey stockings, and black boots reaching halfway up her calves. We all ran out at once, Robin and I taking the lead as the stealthiest of the Team. Once we were in a clearing, strong gusts of wind knocked us all back. We all looked up to see Red Tornado, encircling us in red cyclones.

"Why, Tornado?! Why are you doing this?!" M'gann shouted over the wind. More tornados appeared, curving about before moving away. It was a massive message. _Play dead._

 _Message received?_ M'gann opened up a psychic link, checking for confirmation that the rest of us saw the words blown into the sand.

"Who cares why? Nail him!" Superboy ordered as he ran ahead through the wind. Aqualad trailing.

"Superboy! Maneuver 7!" Aqualad yelled, Superboy stopping and turning with his hands linked. Aqualad stepped into the hands as Superboy launched him up to Tornado, only to be swatted away, back into Superboy. The two of them lay _unconscious_ in the dirt ground of the clearing. Artemis ran up and knocked an arrow into her bow as Robin followed her closely. She fired two explosive arrows, but they were diverted in the wind.

"Look out!" Robin yelled as he and Artemis jumped out of the way of the explosion. I looked to KF and he nodded, grabbing me getting a head starts before skidding to a halt, vaulting me through the air, but Tornado caught me by the neck. He threw me, but it wasn't as forceful as it could have been. I hit the grounds and pretended to be unconscious, slowing my breathing.

"That does it, Red. You're not the only spin doctor around here." I heard Kid say before the sound of his added tornado roared in my ears. I heard M'gann being thrown and hitting Kid, the two tumbling to the ground.

"Etaerc a... a... dleihs dnuora em!" I heard Zatanna trying to cast a spell before she was cut off. I heard her struggling to speak before there was one more thud of her hitting the ground. The ground suddenly shook as another voice came into play, a deeper version of Red Tornado's.

"Quite a performance, brother, but we both know that's all it was. I have all your memories, Tornado, plus a next-gen processor. I know your next move before you do." The voice said as the ground cracked and shook. Everyone got up to look and see what it was, and it was Tornado's tip on what we were supposed to do. "Blowing a message into the sand?" The Android yelled as he through the massive message at us. Aqualad and Superboy leaped ahead to destroy the debris. M'gann used her telekinesis the block on of the chunks as Kid ran me to safety. A hunk of rock crashed down between Robin and Zatanna.

 _Zatanna?_ Robin checked on her while trying to see her through the cloud of dust.

 _I'm good. But Red Tornado's getting away._ Zatanna said into the telepathic link as I saw the android flying away. I ran ahead and ejected my claws, looping around to come up behind the massive red.

 _Is he abandoning us?_ Artemis asked as she ran with another explosive arrow knocked in her bow.

I don't believe that. Aqualad said as I lept into the air, digging my claws into the metal of the androids back, revealing a bunch of wires and circuitry.

"These look important!" I yelled as I grabbed a handful, but I instinctively let go as he grabbed my by the neck and threw me off, landing not twenty feet away with my claw marks trailing the ground for ten. "Haven't you heard? Cats always land on their feet!" I quipped as Kid ran up the massive rock pedestal that the Red had himself on.

"You stand no chance against me, humans." He spoke out of boredom as he simply swatted KF away.

"We're not human!" Superboy and M'gann yelled as they sailed through the air to attack the android.

"Apologies." The android replied as he willed a massive pair of hands to form from the rocks. "I suppose the properly inclusive term is… _Meatbags_." He explained as the stone hands crushed the two aliens. The ground rumbled as a fissure opened up, Artemis and Aqualad falling in, but she fired a grappling arrow, swinging her and the Atlantean back to safety before the fissure closed. Robin and I threw bombs at the android simultaneously. But he caught both, starring the two of us down as the smoke cleared.

"Tornado's memory files and my superior processing speed allow me to anticipate your every move." The android seemed cocky, but I suddenly heard Zatanna chanting nearby.

"Emoks emoceb a dlofdnilb!" She cast, the smoke wrapping itself around the android's eyes.

"Tornado never knew my moves." The magician said triumphantly.

"And I bet you've got some good ones." Robin flirted, forcing me to laugh as the android struggled.

"Smooth moves, little bird." I called to my brother, giving him another reason to hate my enhanced range of hearing.

"Whoa. Sorry. That may have come off a little too Wally." Robin said quickly, making me laugh once again as I found the speedster. Zatanna laughed.

"I don't mind." I heard her reply in the distance as Kid and I ran to regroup with the others, but it was too late. The android's eyes glowed an even brighter red than his metal, shining them into the sky as the volcano behind him erupted into the air, the heat warming my face almost immediately. Kid sped ahead and went to scope out the volcano as well as the android. I watched, my heart skipping a beat as he front tucked out of the way of being fried by airborne magma.

 _He's activating a stage 2 eruption. It gets to stage 3, kiss the hemisphere goodbye_. Kid reported as we all were a group once again.

 _Hit him from all sides._ Aqualad ordered, leaping into the air with his water bearers generating swords. Aqualad was swatted away as Superboy attacks from the front and I from the back. The machine grabbed superboy's wrist, throwing him off as I dug my claws into the back of his neck, failing to rip the metal covering off before he threw me away. M'gann tried to attack in stealth mode, using her telekinesis to pull him off the earthen pedestal, but he willed a fissure to open up, a small vent pressure blasting her with heat.

"M'gann!" Superboy yells as his Martian girlfriend screamed. He and I both tried to run for her to protect her from the volcanic red, but he landed with such force that the Kryptonian and I were knocked away. The massive android was now on his own little island surrounded by lava as he dangled a weak M'gann by her cape. I looked back as I stood up from the ground, seeing Zatanna standing behind a crouched Kid Flash.

"Emoks dna srorrim… Etaerc Dik Hsalf snoisulli!" She shouted as twenty Kid Flashes appeared out of smoke. "I use a scaled-down version when I want to sneak out of the house." Zatanna explained with an excited look. The volcanic android sent rocks after the Kid Flash illusions, trying to get the real one, but he came around from behind and stole M'gann back from the machine. Out of nowhere, a blast of water shoved the android into the lava.

"Nice hit!" Robin yelled as a cyclone of water whirled behind the Atlantean.

"The hit was not mine." Aqualad seemed confused as he looked around. "Look!" HE pointed, and in the direction of his gesture was the male android from the Red Fiasco. He flew into the air, willing water at the massive android, steam rising. He tried to escape, rising on another column of stone, but Red Tornado flew through it, sending the massive android back into the lava. He tried to wade through, but the female threw fireballs at him. Trapping him in place as the two of them engaged in pushing against each other, the female trying to keep the massive android in place.

"Sister! Brothers! Stop!" The android yelled as the other male and female dragged the volcanic android below the surface of the lava, Tornado slapping his legs in, aiding in the effort to destroy the evil android. We all watched as Tornado sank, but as more explosions occurred around the volcano, Superboy pulled him out.

"We don't have any time left! It's going to blow!" I shouted over the seismic eruptions, grabbing tightly onto Kid's arm.

"Tornado, listen! We're on the verge of a stage three supervolcano eruption. There's no turning back from that. We need to vent pressure, fast. But the ash cloud will bring on worldwide nuclear winter unless you divert it." Kid ordered as the ground shook violently beneath our feet. I was growing more and more nervous, clinging to Kid. "Triangulate around the pressure focus." Kid ordered Robin.

"Right." He quickly scanned the volcano with his holocomputer. "There, there, and there." He showed Artemis her new targets. She fired an arrow that separated into three smaller rocket explosives. They each hit their mark, smoke and ash immediately escaping into the air. Red Tornado willed a Tornado to carry him into the air, higher above the ash cloud. Soon, there was a massive red funnel, pulling the ash up and pushing it out above the atmosphere. I couldn't help but watch in a mixture of awe and worry, Kid holding my hand once again as we all waited to see if the plan would succeed. When all of the lava suddenly cooled, he let go of me.

"Yes!" He celebrated before looking up, seeing the broken Red Tornado land on the ground with extreme struggle.

* * *

"There. That should do it." Robin said as he finished working on Tornado's programing and circuitry. The android closed the opening on his face. We were in Morrow's secret lab bunker.

"Yes. I can speak again." He acknowledged, just laying there without his the majority of his legs.

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the planet." Aqualad said as he stepped forward, amazed by the android.

"The planet would have survived. It is humanity that was saved. Though, not by me. My sister and brother were the true heroes this day." Tornado corrected him, to modest about the victory, even for a machine.

"My point is this you were never the mole, never a traitor." Aqualad clarified.

"No. I left to protect you from further attack and to find my creator, Morrow." Red Tornado said as Wally, Robin and I dug through the bin of spare parts.

"Cool! Souvenir." Wally waved a red, robotic hand, forcing me to stifle a laugh and I lifted up the other that matched his.

"Red, we can rebuild you better than you were before." Robin offered and he held a metal leg up for Tornado to see. Everyone looked toward him expectantly.

"I do not believe I should be repaired." Tornado said, making everyone fall a bit further into our own emotions, not sure what to do in this situation.

"Why'd you volunteer to become our den mother in the first place?" Superboy snapped, finally turning around to face the rest of the group.

"I was the pragmatic choice. I do not require sleep. I have no secret identity or second life to live." He explained, but the rest of us were catching on.

"But you do have advanced A.I. programming designed to learn, adapt, evolve." Wally said, straightening a finger on the metal hand at the last three words.

"Hello, M'gann. You wanted to become more human." M'gann realized as we all stood a bit closer to the android.

"And you couldn't do that with the League. They're stiffs." Artemis reasoned.

"You're sure not going to learn emotion from Batman. Trust me." Robin said, but I shrugged.

"Well, he shows it when he wants too, so we're still learning how to do that." I added, feeling like I had to defend my father against the belief that he's heartless. Robin knows he isn't, but he feels like Bruce is a completely different person when he's pretending to be Batman. But I know the only acting is hiding his emotions. When it comes down to it, Batman is his true identity, while he pretending to be Bruce Wayne during the day.

"Then the Cave was not a proving ground only for us, but for you as well." Aqualad added, impressed with the android.

"I do not know if these statements are accurate, but perhaps they are true. And if I understand the term correctly, I believe I have come to... _care_ about you all." Red Tornado admitted.

"See? Practically a meatbag already." Superboy said with a straight face before finally releasing a small smirk.

* * *

On the Bioship flight back to the Cave, Wally and I were sharing snacks as we sat next to each other as we always did. I'd slip him m&ms while he would give me bites of his protein bar. Everyone seemed satisfied with the mission, despite the fact that it was a general understanding that Batman and the League were going to grill us for this, but most importantly, Zatara.

"So, good kidnapping?" I heard Robin say. I looked over and found him leaning up to talk to Zatanna.

"Actually, yeah. Best ever." She smiled, actually into his behavior.

"First of many, I hope." He grinned as she looked down.

"If my dad doesn't ground me for life." She sighed. I decided to let them have their own private conversation and I put my earbuds in, turning on the music before lifting my legs up, curling into a ball in my chair next to Wally as he snacked. After a while, he tapped on my shoulder. I gave him the other earbud and the two of us relaxed.

"You know, for kid malingerer, you did pretty well with a broken arm." I whispered, complimenting him on his actions and knowledge during the mission. He seemed taken aback, but relaxed into a smile. The two of us never really talk any more, especially me giving him recognition for something. We just relaxed, watching the landscape go by as we listened to my music.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Hi! Just would like to remind you all to please review!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	18. Failsafe

**Author's note:**

 **Guest: I know you said "not to be rude", but it still sort of felt that way. I do understand how you could be upset with the two not recognizing each other, but remember that the homecoming dance was a masquerade theme, therefore they were all wearing masks. Wally's hair is also slicked back which, as it does most people, made his red hair darker. Another thing, neither have seen each other all dressed up like this. At Dick's party, it was casual without masks and with the timeline of how I'm following season 1, that party has not occurred yet.**

 **Wally calling himself Barry Allen was just a joke, and sure Artemis knows who that is, but she hasn't necessarily "met" this version of Wally. I'm not discrediting Artemis in any way, she's one of my favorite characters aside from Dick. I am sorry the chapter had upset you, but a lot of thought went into writing that chapter since I was on the fence about it. I did my best and was meticulous to keep the two of them from recognizing each other. But, as it upset you, I'll do better to shine more light on Artemis. I'm glad you think Sylvia and Wally are cute! and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Mt. Justice**

 **October 16th, 2010**

Batman's camera sensor units activated and gave the Cave live feed of the Green Lanterns flying out to meet the Alien Invaders. We all stood in front of the holocomputer, watching as the ship tracked closer and closer to earth.

"Attention." John Stewart spoke clearly as he faced the massive space ship with Hal Jordan. "You have entered the boundaries of Earth space. Disengage all weapons and engines. This is your final warning." He finished. One of the red bulbs on the ship began to charge and glow. It broke right through the two Lantern's shields. I watched to two disintegrate before feeling Wally slip his hand into mine.

"Code red. Full offensive deploy." I heard my father say as the cameras showed Martian Manhunter, Captains Marvel and Atom, and Superman deploying out of the Batplane's cargo bay. They flew off to attack, but the bulb charged up again, immediately destroying the four Leaguers like they were nothing. I had felt calm until they were gone, my heart had now picked up as I watched Batman maneuver away from the disintegration rays. My eyes went wide as the Batplane was destroyed with Batman in a pod, trying to get away. There were hundreds of smaller alien ships deploying from the mothership. One flew right up to Batman's pod, and fire. In that moment, the sounds of the Cave roared in my ears. The sounds of my own heartbeat and breathing along with everyone else's, Red Tornado's machinery whirring about, Wolf huffing and Sphere humming. I tried my best to keep a straight face as the cave received an incoming transition.

"Tornado, did you-" Zatara said as I looked around, noticing that the majority were calm. But Dick and M'gann were agitated. For some reason that I couldn't put my finger on, the three of us slipped back into mission mode, the tension released.

"Yes, Zatara, we saw. Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures." Red Tornado replied to Zatara, who was in the Watchtower at the moment.

"Affirmative. See you in the field." Zatara said before shutting off the transmission. Ret Tornado turned to us.

"I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you." Tornado made it very clear that this wasn't going to be just another day in the Justice League. Everyone shared a brief look before our leader replied.

"We stand ready." Aqualad affirmed, I stood a little taller, knowing that even if it did fall to us, we would not fail, or at least fall protecting people. As Red Tornado left, Robin pulled up all of the news footage so we would monitor the action to determine when we should step in. On GBS, the first footage we received was Central City. People were screaming as Wally's aunt Iris reported.

"This is Iris West-Allen reporting live. The extraterrestrials have brought their relentless global attack to Central City." The second she finished, alien fire destroyed the arch and took out the people behind her. She cowered slightly, but tried to keep reporting. Just before a ship could take her out, a blur of red swiped her away and the sound of one of Zatara's spells rang through the air as the camera man disappeared as well. The new scene was on a rooftop as the Flash brought Iris up.

"You should both be safe here. At least for now." Zatara trailed off as Iris refused to take her eyes off of the Flash.

"Thank you-" She almost said Barry, but she paused. "-Flash… And Zatara." She looked back at the magician as the Flash sped away and Zatara flew off on a disc of his own magic.

"Denny, you okay?" She checked as the cameraman's thumbs up came into the view of the camera. "As you can see, the Justice League is attempting to hold the line-" She stopped as she saw Flash and Zatara try and save some people on the roof of a burning building, but the Aliens fired, the entire rooftop going up into smoke, Flash and Zatara included. "No." You could hear the defeat in her voice as she reached out to the plume of ash.

"Iris! Iris, get out of there!" GBS report Cat Grant screamed as a ship flew up, the camera feed cutting out. "I'm sorry, we're experiencing technical difficulties from our Central City feed.

We take you now to a devastated Taipei, where another League contingent is having a bit more luck." Cat slowly gains a moderately normal voice as the camera changes to Taipei. the second it does, we see both Hawkman and Hawkwoman disintegrated. On a rooftop, we can see a small duo of Black Canary and Green Arrow fighting off ships before being hit with a beam as well. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've lost Black Canary, Green Arrow, and the Hawks.

Other heroes reported dead or missing include Batman, Icon, Atom, and Aquaman." Cat Grant reported as I looked to another screen that Robin has pulled up of a little town called Smallville, Kansas.

"Red Tornado to cave. I fear I am all that remains of the League-" We hear as Red Tornado flies out only to see the mothership landing, crushing the town beneath it.

"R.T.-" Robin tried to respond to him just as the Android disappeared. We all looked at the four shots of footage

"We are Earth's heroes now." Aqualad said as we realized the entire League was now gone. Superboy knit his eyebrows.

"So what are we waiting for, a theme song?" The Kryptonian sassed as we all turned to him and our leader.

"A strategy. Earth's weapons are ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed." Aqualad spoke with a new authority that we've never really heard before, like he was the highest ranking authority now that we were without mentors.

"Checking satellite imagery." Robin pulled up a massive, rotating globe of the planet, red highlighting different locations. "Here's where the aliens are now." He clarified as we all looked about the planet for ideas.

"This one get lost?" Superboy asked, pointing to a red dot in the heart of the northern Atlantic.

"That's Superman's fortress of solitude." Robin identified with a sort of wonder as I saw Superboy's eyebrow raise.

"Superman has a fortress of solitude?" He was surprised that there was something he didn't know.

"Its power source must have attracted the aliens attention, at least enough to send a scout ship to investigate." Robin reasoned, putting things together as he always did.

"Must be some fortress." Superboy snapped as he stepped off in the other direction.

"Connor-" M'gann put a hand on his shoulder as I noticed Robin staring at me, my hand immediately letting go of Wally's/

"No, it's okay. I guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know." Superboy seemed angry, but his face softened. "Uh, you know, now." He added.

"We will target this lone ship." Aqualad strategized.

"Yeah, break it down, build more, hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo." Wally pounded his fist into his hand. Artemis beat me to the punch and elbowed Wally in the side.

"Martian and Kryptonian in the house." She half whispered to him. Superboy and M'gann looked at Wally as he stumbled to try and fix what he said.

"Uh," He let out a nervous laugh, "not that all aliens are automatically ugly." Wally commented, Artemis pinching the bridge of her nose as I stepped away, standing next to Robin to the look at the analysis readings he had up.

* * *

 **Outside the Fortress of Solitude**

We were all in stealth mode, everyone getting in place. Superboy and I were crouching behind a snowy rock as the rest of us waited for the signal. An invisible Miss Martian willed the radio piece of the ship to detach, the whole thing lurching in the air.

 _Communications disabled._ She reported in the mind link. _Propulsion disabled._ M'gann said as the ship hit the snow. Artemis fired a foam arrow into the only way in or out of the ship as it tried to fire at her. I didn't know what to do yet until she finally reported.

 _And ETs are sealed inside._ She said as she peaked around the fresh hold in the rock she was hiding behind. Aqualad smashed through the ice, trapping the ship further like a distraction as Wolf swung the cannon away from our leader as Superboy and I leapt aboard the separate the cannon from the ship. Robin and Kid Flash ran in as I moved away from the support beam, standing next to Superboy as he supported the massive piece of weaponry.

 _Identifying weapon's structural stress points and links to the ship. Here, here, and here._ Robin told M'gann as she used her telekinesis to break down the support to the cannon. We all watched as the ship tried to fire the beam at Superboy, but Wolf knocked him out of the way, being disintegrated in his place.

 _Wolf._ M'gann said sadly in her mind before looking to Robin.

 _There was no indication of feedback. I'm sorry._ He replied, looking to Superboy.

 _Can't do anything for him now._ Superboy looked down before jumping onto the ship. _Let's go_. He said simply as he ripped the cannon from the alien ship. The Bioship flew up in camouflage mode, Superboy putting the weapon up to it as the ship morphed to attach.

 _Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship's biomatrix. We'll need to de-camouflage for a few minutes._ M'gann said as two new alien ships arrived in the air space.

 _May not have a few minutes._ Robin said, watching the ships as we all stood and looked at Aqualad.

 _Miss Martian, open fire_. Aqualad ordered, but she looked back and shook her head.

 _Can't. Weapon systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon. And that's not fully integrated yet, either_. She told him, still working to get the Bioship up and running with the new piece of machinery.

Got you covered. Get inside. I'm almost there. Artemis said as she knocked three arrows into her bow. Once ship exploded as the over crash landed into the snow as she ran. The cannon charged up.

 _Artemis, behind you_! M'gann yelled in the link as Artemis turned to fire another arrow, but just like that, she was gone.

"Artemis!" M'gann screamed at the top of her lungs as we all looked out upon the now empty space where Artemis was standing. It was almost all at once that everything hit me. Artemis was at the forefront, but I froze in place as the deaths of Black Canary and my Dad hit me, rushing through my mind.

"Get inside. All of you." Aqualad ordered as he ran to attack the ship. I couldn't move, my mind unable to decide between rage and fear.

"Cat! Come on!" I hear Wally yell, but I didn't do a thing. I watched as Aqualad destroyed the ship, Wally grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the ship, Superboy doing the same thing with M'gann. Soon we were all in our seats and taking off, leaving the place behind us as the deafening silence overwhelmed us all. M'gann was crying as she piloted the Bioship. Robin had his head down, his hands trying to pull at his hair through the white cowl. Wally came over to me as I sat rigid in my seat, unable to unclench my fists as I bit back the anger, my vision becoming blurry as my eyes watered from beneath my cowl.

"Are you…?" He put a hand on my shoulder and the second I felt it, I cried out in anguish, smashing my fists down onto the console in front of me. Wally removed his hand and sat back down, but Aqualad stood up.

"There will be time to mourn later. Now we have a job to do: defend the Earth and ensure Artemis' sacrifice was not in vain." Aqualad's anger showed in his face, the irritation building behind his eyes.

"Back to the cave?" M'gann looked up with heavy eyes.

"The Hall of Justice. The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them.

There is still hope." He said, regaining his cool just as any leader would. I tapped my chest and, the white polar tech disappearing and my black Wildcat costume returning.

* * *

 **Washington D.C.**

The Bioship flew up behind three alien ships attacking the U.S. Soldiers. A hatch opened in the bottom and Superboy dropped out, taking out the cannon and bringing down the middle ship as M'gann used the Bioship to vaporize the other two alien ships. Superboy hopped off the ship as the rest of us ran out of the Bioship, the soldiers cheering.

"See? It is Superman. I told you he wouldn't leave us out here alone." One of the soldiers said, looking at Superboy.

"I don't know. He looks kind of young. Where's the Cape?" Another questioned as Superboy turned.

"I'm not Superman." He corrected them.

"I don't know who you are, son, and right now, I don't care. You wear the 'S' and you got the job done." The leader of the troops said.

"I'm not Superman." Superboy looked down.

"Tell that to the enemy. General Wade Eiling, U.S. Air Force." The Leader introduced himself. Aqualad stepping forward as our leader.

"Aqualad, Justice League. We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible, then we start taking back what is ours." Aqualad turned dark him his tone, returning to the state he was in just after Artemis was killed. We all ended up moving out and getting to the Hall to take refuge, despite it being in ruins. As we entered the main area of the hall, I couldn't help but look up at destroyed statue of my father, turning to face the cracked stone head amongst the rubble.

"They're really gone." Robin said, standing closely next to me, staring at the stone face of our mentor, our father. I put my arm around him, hugging him tightly, only realizing after that I needed it more than he did. We looked over and saw M'gann crying, kneeling before the stone head of her uncle. But she suddenly flew back, using her telekinesis to pull the massive piece of stone away, revealing Martian Manhunter in the flesh.

"Uncle J'onn!" M'gann yelled as she flew to greet him, but Aqualad stood in her way.

"M'Gann, check his mind. Make sure he is whom he appears to be." Aqualad ordered, but she just stared at her uncle.

"It's him. He's real. He's alive." She celebrated, flying to him and embracing him as he stood up.

"But we saw you get disintegrated. You and Superman. And everyone." Superboy questioned the presence of the Leaguer, the last Leaguer.

"Yes, I remember. But I cannot remember how I survived. Or how I arrived here." Martian Manhunter looked down at his niece, like she would remind him.

"Maybe you were density shifting, the beam passed right through you." She smiled, excited like a child on Christmas.

"Scrambling your brains along the way!" Robin added, a smile creeping across his face.

"My mind _is_ clouded." Manhunter reached for his head. "I feel certain I had something important to tell you." He closed his eyes, trying to think. From next to me, Wally had an epiphany.

 _Hello, Wally, come on._ Wally said into the link, dragging Robin and I out to the ship Superboy crashed, making Robin scan it with his holocomputer, checking out the readings. _I knew it! Look! It's giving off zeta beams, the same stuff that powers our zeta tubes. This thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports. Artemis and the others are still alive_! He said into the link, hugging me.

 _Maybe, but-_ Robin tried to say something but Wally cut him off.

 _No maybes. They're all alive_! Wally celebrated as Robin and I checked the readings. I double checked on my own holocomputer, getting the same thing, but I was starting to things all of the loss was clouding his judgement as well. But incoming ships interrupted the skeptical love fest of thinking our families are still alive somewhere.

 _We're on our way._ Aqualad said in the link as Kid, Rob, and another soldier ducked behind a humvee.

 _Negative. We can't win this. Miss Martian, camo the Bioship_. Robin ordered, but the second he did, the ship was vaporized. _We're falling back_. Robin said as the rest of us ran back inside. But an explosion behind me went off. I felt the heat as the force sent me flying through the air, somehow sending my straight through the entrance to the hall. I hit the debris with a loud _crack,_ sending everyone into a cringe.

"Cat!" I heard Wally shriek from behind me, speeding over and dragging me out of the way. He stopped running when we got to Aqualad, my feet dragging on the ground as we moved.

"We're trapped." General Eiling said as Aqualad looked around.

"Maybe not." He said, running and everyone following him. As we went through the library, he finally said his plan. "We can all zeta to the cave if you can grant us computer clearance to access the tubes." We all stopped in front of the entrance to the tubes.

"I can only authorize one at a time." J'onn said as as Wally poked my thigh as hard as he could, even kicking one of my ankles, but I shook my head, not knowing what to do.

"Send the soldiers first." Aqualad ordered, but Eiling turned to face him.

"Belay that! You six are assets we cannot afford to lose." He ordered, making it clear that we were the only hope.

"Override. Martian Manhunter 07." J'onn said as the computer scanned him. He stepped aside and it began scanning everyone else.

 **Recognized.**

 _Access granted_

 _Miss Martian B06_

 _Robin B01_

 _Kid Flash B03_

Just like that, the back wall exploded, more debris flying everywhere. Aqualad pushed Wally through and forced me to next, gripping my shoulder as it scanned me and pushed me through. I landed in the Cave, hitting Kid as I fell to the cold floor. This was where it all started. I got to my feet and after a few moments, a soldier made it through, announced as Jason Bard. Then Superboy was to far behind. M'gann instantly went to hug him as we all stood on edge, waiting for Aqualad and Martian Manhunter. But When J'onn came through, we knew Kaldur was gone. My heart was growing heavier and heavier by the minute now, but I couldn't let that stop me. Robin gathered us in the center of the mission room.

"Our next mission is clear. If we believe the aliens have been teleporting their victims-" Robin paused and Wally cut in.

"We do." Wally added, optimistic that everyone was still alive.

"Then the only reasonable detention facility is here." Robin pulled up a scan of a ship. "Their mothership, atop what used to be Smallville. Ring any bells?" Robin asked Martian Manhunter, but he shook his head as he stood up.

"No. I'm sorry." He shook his head once more as he reached for his head, still trying to clear his mind, to no avail.

"Superboy, you'll create a distraction." Robin got out the first part of the plan, but M'gann wasn't having it.

"No! He's offering you as a sacrifice. Aqualad would never do that!" She snapped at Robin, and he just looked at her.

"You're right. Aqualad would sacrifice himself, a mistake that just cost us our leader.

Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy." Robin was getting angry, fed up with the lossed.

"Worst case, he's teleported inside and we set him free along with everyone else." Wally said, but Robin and I shared a look, the two of us knew that teleportation wasn't the case. It was a few minutes before we all got up to make a message to broadcast to all of the survivors still out there.

* * *

"And though we know all seems lost, the one thing the aliens cannot destroy is hope." M'gann started.

"Hope survives because the battle is not over. Not as long as even one of us is willing to fight." Superboy continued as Wally stepped up.

"It doesn't matter how many fall, for new heroes will always rise to carry on, bring all their resources, their skills, their talents to bear, to defeat the enemy." He spoke as more and more heroes arrived to the Cave the prepare for taking back our cities, Red Arrow, Zatanna, Rocket, even Tula and Garth from Atlantis.

"The people of Earth will survive this. We will rebuild and we will thrive." Robin said in an angry but convicted tone. I stepped in next to him.

"United we stand, divided we fall. As long as we are united as a race, never doubt and never forget, the Earth will _never surrender_." The recording ended and we sent it out to every screen possible.

* * *

 **Smallville**

"First team, deploy." Robin ordered as we all stood outside the ship. J'onn and M'gann went into camouflage mode and disappeared into the night.

 _Ready. In position._ M'gann reported as Robin looked to Superboy. With a roar, he leapt into the air, crashing onto the mothership, ripping a cannon from its placement.

 _Careful. Don't disconnect the power source_. Robin reminded Superboy

"All right, you glorified trespassers. You want to see how a real alien fights?" I heard Superboy yell as he fired the cannon all over different points on the ship. Soon, there were hundreds of smaller ships deployed to fight him off and defend the mother ship. I charged and jumped high into the air, grabbing the edge of the opening and pulling myself up and into the ship as Kid went supersonic with Robin on his back. The two of them met me on the inside of the ship. I double checked myself to make sure the double utility belts of bombs were intact on my chest. Robin did the same as we hid, ships passing by.

 _Way's clear. Go_. Robin ordered, KF and I following him. We halted at a cross section and hid as a sort of security drone passed by. Another one came next to us, but something knocked it out. M'gann and J'onn landed before us and we all moved together. M'gann stopped suddenly.

 _No. He's gone_. She collapsed, Kid running to her to get her going again.

 _It's all right. We'll find him with Artemis and Aqualad. I know it_. Kid promised her, but J'onn had his red eyes wider for once.

 _No. My mind is clearer now. The disintegration beam is exactly that. There is no detention facility, no prisoners to rescue. Our mission holds no purpose_. J'onn told him, but it just made him angry.

 _No, you're wrong. The zeta radiation proves they're all ali-_

 _Stop it, KF._ Robin grabbed Kid by the shoulders _. I've been scanning for League and team signals since we got inside. They're not here. Artemis, Aqualad and Superboy are gone. But our mission still holds purpose, to destroy this mothership_. M'gann understood and we all stood up, following him. Robin and I had another plan from the beginning. We followed Robin into a large room with a burning hot core.

 _This is the power core. Blow this and the whole mothership blows_. Robin ordered. The two of us jumped forward together, but the gravitational pull of the core was dragging us back. I grabbed Rob's arm as I dug my claws into the panel we were standing on. Kid hopped on and slipped as well, Robin grabbing him, but the weight was to much, my claws dragging against the metal. We fell off, but I used my grappling hook as stopped us from hurtling any further. A security droid landed near us, but J'onn and M'gann took it out. They then used their telekinesis to lower us down. Robin and I unhooked out explosives and laid them down on the core.

 _You knew. You knew from the beginning why we were really here_. Kid looked between the two of us as Robin set a timer from his holocomputer.

 _Four minutes, let's go_. Robin ignored his best friend as M'gann and J'onn levitated us back up. We all ran to escape, but the door sealed off.

 _Perfect_. Wally commented as two security droids approached. We all hid from the range of fire.

 _Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go_. Robin ordered. I knew exactly was was happening.

 _No, we won't leave you_. M'gann held on, wanting to stay with us.

 _That's an order. We'll follow as soon as we blow those doors_. Robin lied to her. With that, Manhunter took her through the floor. Robin watched the timer count down from ten seconds. We weren't going to make it. Robin ran out, armed to take out the drones, but the time was at five seconds. I grabbed Wally's arm and kissed him, right then and there. Not wanting to die without doing that one last time. I pulled apart from him and the look on his face was serene. I looked past him, seeing Robin disintegrated just after the timer hit zero. The ship lurched, Wally and I embracing each other as the explosion destroyed the ship. I closed my eyes and buried my face in Wally's chest as the heat burned at my flesh, but it was only for a few seconds before everything went black.

* * *

 **The Cave**

I honestly thought that was it, we were gone, but sure enough, I opened my eyes to see the Cave. My lungs burned as I gasped for breath, my arms flailing as I looked for Wally. I saw Dick, just barely stirring, Superboy was petting Wolf, but what really made me nervous, was seeing Batman. He walked over to me and helps me sit up.

"Breathe." He ordered. I look a deep breath, and calmed down. My whole body was weak as I looked around the room. Captain Marvel and Martian Manhunter were here. Even Artemis and Aqualad were alive. I immediately wrapped my arms around my father and hugged him tightly before I opened my eyes and realized Wally was with Captain Marvel. I jolted off the table, hitting the ground first before scrambling up, grabbing a weak Wally and hugging him as tight as I possibly could. My eyes watered as I clung to him. He seemed taken aback, but he soon wrapped his arms around me and pulled into him as tightly as he could.

"You're all alive." M'gann said. I let go Wally, turning to look at Dick, who was now sitting up, sweating buckets.

"What happened in there?" Batman asked as he eyes Wally and I. J'onn was rubbing his head.

"The exercise, it all went wrong." He said, everyone staring at him in confusion.

"Exercise?" Robin asked as he wiped some of the sweat off his face.

"Try to remember. What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the six of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in." As Batman spoke, it all started coming back to me. "What you didn't know was that it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still, you were aware nothing was real, including the deaths of the entire Justice League." Batman explained.

"That is why you hardly grieved, even when wolf was disintegrated before your eyes.

But all that changed when Artemis died." Manhunter said. I looked to the Archer and she had her head down. "Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise and her subconscious took control, making all of you forget, too." J'onn finished the explanation. All of it, flashed before my eyes as I remembered everything.

"I-I'm so sorry." M'gann looked around, apologizing nervously.

"This isn't her fault. Why didn't you stop the exercise?" Superboy asked, trying to defend her.

"We tried. But M'Gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis, who should have awakened upon her death, was so convinced she had passed she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to rest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within. But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was too much... _noise_ to think clearly, to remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad and Superboy helped. But only when the mothership exploded and Robin, Wildcat and Kid Flash were silenced, did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose… to shock M'Gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent." J'onn said as M'gann turned away, absolutely ashamed. "My apologies. I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous, so damaging." J'onn turned around and collapsed in the process, Batman and Torano catching him.

"As bad as all that?" Batman asked, I could still hear them.

"Perhaps worse." J'onn looked at the floor.

"Yet this is not what troubles you." Red Tornado commented as the three of them stayed close, trying to keep their voices down so we wouldn't hear, but there were two of us that still could. They stood up and made it harder to hear, but eavesdropping was a talent of mine.

"Make no mistake, my niece is untrained and cannot be held responsible for this, for our debacle." J'onn defended his niece, knowing this wasn't her fault.

"No one blames her." Batman said in a low, hushed tone. "But clearly we underestimated her abilities." He gave Manhunter a sideways glance.

"You understate it. In terms of raw power, she has the strongest telepathic mind I have ever encountered. Stronger by far than mine." J'onn said as I looked back to M'gann, who was crying in Captain Marvel's arms. Wally had his arms around me as we faced the rest of the group, his chin resting atop my head as we all stood in silence. We were all weak, but we all couldn't forget what happened in the exercise. United we had stood, divided we fell.


	19. Disordered

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Mt. Justice**

 **October 23, 2010**

The television was on, but no one wanted move to connect the cable, so the black screen read: _NO SIGNAL_ , the white letters highlighted in electric blue. My mind seemed empty, numb from everything as the sound of M'gann mixing batter lulled me to atleast try and relax. If I were to look around, I would see Kaldur leaning against the countertop of part of the kitchen, his arms still crossed as they were an hour ago. Robin would be sitting in one of the comfy chairs next to the couch, staring off into blank space while his mind tried to be cold and calculating, just as has been doing for going on two hours now. Artemis would be leaning on the corner of the couch, closest to Robin, just staring at the floor, the thoughts running through her mind just as befuddling and upset as the rest of us.

Wally was sitting on the couch, leaning back with his legs outstretched into the space ahead and his arms draped over the back of the couch. I sat, curled up in a ball with my back leaning against Wally, my fingers tracing the lines on his cast as I pulled my knees tighter into my chest. No one dared move, aside from M'gann, whom I assumed was to afraid to stop moving, to leave herself alone with her thoughts. She was the main point of our collective downfall. I understand that she had no control, but her sheer ability to maintain the belief that everything was real made me afraid for what would have happened if J'onn didn't stop her.

One by one, each of us were being called into the waterfall room, starting with Artemis. As she left, Kaldur finally moved, sitting down in one of the chairs at the glass dining table. When she returned, Kaldur was next. I felt more empty now that Wally wasn't beside me. I just sprawled out upon the couch, laying on my stomach and burying my face in the cushion as I waited for my speedster to return. When Robin left for his turn with Canary, Artemis ended up turning on the cable to the television, but we all just seemed to be absentmindedly watching the news as Cat Grant did some fluff piece about A man in Taiwan who saved a kindergartener from oncoming traffic.

When Wally returned, it seemed like he was a bit more at peace, but he was still getting in his own head. When he sat down, I was unexpectedly pulled across his lap, my legs draped across his while my head tucked into the crook of his neck. His arms were tight around me, his fingers interlaced so they'd stay together. It was like the redhead was refusing to let me go. But I didn't mind, as it seemed that the constant physical contact was keeping the dark thoughts in my mind at bay. Soon Robin returned, waving me on to join Canary in the waterfall room. Wally's arms fell limp as I got up, a sigh escaping my lips as my feet dragged across the stone floor. When I reached the room, I could barely bring myself to open the door, but sure enough I did, dragging feet as I went for the green chair across from Canary, plopping down and slouching into the back cushion. Canary just looked at me for a moment as I remained silent.

"The simulation, Manhunter tells me that you may have been more self aware than the others." The blonde looked at me expectantly, but the statement caught me off guard. The gears in my mind began to turn, remembering things, but I couldn't open my mouth, everything was screaming within my mind at once. I couldn't quiet my thoughts long enough to say what I wanted to say. I felt detached, and my mind was spiraling. "Cat, I know this is difficult, but I need you to concentrate. I can't help you if you don't vocalize what's bothering you." She pushed again, waiting for a response. I felt trapped in my own body, memories bouncing around, fighting for control. It seemed like everything stopped, even the sound of the waterfall.

" _Subject Kilo is continuing to resist treatment. Electroconvulsive therapy and the Super Toxin 451-A will be introduced in attempts to access the subconscious and create a more compliant subject." A blonde scientist in a labcoat spoke into a recorder, his surgical mask clinging to the skin under his chin. I tried to call out, to scream, but there was a muzzle fastened to my face. My muffled cries would never be distinguishable on that recording if it was ever discovered. I was helpless as I thrashed about, trying to escape the restraints I was in as someone applied wires to me, hooking me up to a vitals monitor. The muzzle was soon removed, and in its place was a thick, rubber mouth guard. Soon there were wires attached to my forehead and the back of my neck. A machine whirred to life as someone else placed a syringe in my forearm, injecting the bright yellowy orange liquid into my arm._

" _Initiating Electroconvulsive therapy at twenty-five percent." Someone else said as they flipped a switch. My vision blurred as I went rigid, biting down as I tried not to scream from the pain. "Vitals are holding, proceeding to fifty percent." The voice seemed optimistic as I began convulsing. "Continuing, and stopping at seventy-five percent." The dial turned and my eyes fluttered, a strangely strangled groan was produced in my throat as my body shuddered in spasms._

" _Subject Kilo is responding as intended, switching off the treatment in 3…" I could feel my eyes rolling pack into my head as I jerked. "2…" The voice frightened me. Clouded dark thoughts were rolling through my mind with images of the other experiences I've had in this hole. "...1." The electricity stopped, my body going limp on the table. Someone grabbed my jaw while another snapped and flashed a light over my eyelids. As my eyes drifted open, everything seemed to be bathed in red. But the faces of the scientists glowed white hot against the black, shadowy background. What I was seeing was like a glitch in a computer, Everything shifting to the left for a split second before shifting back._

" _The subject seems to not be responding to Scarecrow's provided fear toxin. Pupils are dilated and heart rate is rising at a slower rate. Repeat the process and we'll go work off of her next reaction to the treatment." The scientist said as another glowing golden syringe was placed in my arm._

"Sylvia, I need you to work with me." Canary said, my eyes snapping up from the floor. My mind was quieter now, but there was still so much bouncing around.

"Repeat what you said earlier. I'm having trouble focusing." I finally spoke, my voice suddenly hoarse. Canary seemed to be picking up on my troubles.

"I was told that you may have been more self aware than the others." She repeated, slowly, like she was making sure I would understand what she was saying.

"I… I mean it's possible. I was… _confused_ as to why I wasn't grieving when Batman died." I replied, sitting up slightly in the chair.

"Not just that, you didn't seem to fear dying in the simulation. You knew you wouldn't make it out, and you accepted it." The tone in her voice was unsure. But if it was for my answer, it made sense that she was unsure.

 _I was laying on the table, strapped down and secured, the fight no longer prominent in my limbs. I was weak, even my skin feeling like my bones would break through at any moment. Someone entered the room as I laid in silence, not moving a muscle. A scientist stood beside me, checking the vitals on the monitor. He pulled out a recorder and began to speak as my vision blurred, his face morphing and distorting as black ooze dripped from his eyes._

" _Subject is responding well to Super Toxin 451-A. The combination with the Electroconvulsive therapy is giving the desired results of the client. Restraints are being released, and order testing will be initiated." As he spoke, his voice distorted to a sort of deep echo. Another scientist stepped into the light and began undoing my restraints. There was a new spring of energy in my system. The moment I was completely free, I sprang from the table, attacking the assistant. He cried out, but I couldn't think as his teeth seemed razor sharp, his eyes black and freezing, like they were sucking the heat out of the air. I pinned him to the ground, my hands on this through, adrenaline pumping through my veins._

" _Monster!" I screamed as I tried to choke the life out of the man. The other scientist tackled me to the ground, but I kept screaming, kept fighting. After I was secured back onto the table, I was left alone with the main scientist. He grabbed my chin and leaned in closely, my hallucinations of the black ooze pouring from his eyes even more prominent now. His tongue flicked about like that of a snake's, his teeth sharp and elongated._

" _We're not the monsters. Think of us like Dr. Frankenstein, and you're our beautiful monster." He whispered in my ear before backing off, pulling out his tape recorder. "The subject has resisted the treatment. The Super Toxin will have to be cured and a new method will be assembled for creating compliance." He clicked off the recorder, and left me alone in the lab, still strapped to the table._

"Cat, why did you accept dying?" Canary asked, snapping me back. I thought for a moment and gave her a hard look.

"I accept death because it better than the torture of being on the verge of death, and no one knows that better than I do." I said, digging my claws into the chair, trying to stay calm as the disorder in my consciousness continued, causing me to freak out. I kept thinking about the tank. My breathing was becoming labored as I felt like my lungs were filling with water. But the memory of the electricity kept combining with the fear conditioning. I could feel myself shaking as I remembered the pain.

"I know this is hard for you, and I don't want to make it any worse, but where do you keep going?" She questioned, but I just dug my claws further into the chair.

"I'm fine." I said, but it came out in breaths. I couldn't stop, the hyperventilation was taking over as I sat in the chair.

"No you're not. It could help to vocalize how you're feeling." Canary told me, but my subconscious had other ideas. It was like a jolt of electricity as I shot out of the chair, suddenly pacing around the room as I couldn't breathe. "Cat, please." She had a worried look on her face.

"It's everything at once and it won't stop!" I couldn't help but laugh as I threw my hands into the air. The sound struggled to escape my lips as I hyperventilated. My whole body was shaking as I walked about.

"Cat, you need to calm down, just sit in the chair and let me help you." She said in a calming voice, flipping to another scene.

" _We're just helping you. You'll be perfect when we're finished."_ I could hear their voices in my head.

"No! You can't help me!" I yelled, running for the door. Canary tried to stop me, but I rolled between her legs a bolted out the door.

"Cat!" She called as I sprinted through the cave, but my vision blurred as the whole place seemed to morph into the lab, the maze of rooms filled with either dead or dying girls, rooms of torturous tools and machines. I ran past the kitchen, tears streaking down my face as my teammates turned into scientists with lab coats. I couldn't even hold onto the sight of Wally, his worried face watching me run. I managed to get to the mission room, but it shifted to the tank. I backed against the wall, scientists coming towards me, but I felt like I was in the tank all over again. I couldn't breathe anymore, my throat feeling like it had closed off.

"You need to calm down." One of the scientists flickered between the illusion and my father. Spots began to grow in my vision as I struggled to breath. I suddenly collapsed on the floor, curling into a ball, pulling on my hair. I couldn't stop shaking. Batman knelt down to me and started shushing me in a delicate manner. He put a hand up and the others left. I was alone with my father and he help me in a ball, crooning me in a soft voice. "You're okay."

"I… can't… breathe…" I huffed, pulling on his cape and bunching it between my fingers. He grabbed my hand and place it on his chest, breathing deeply in through his nose and out through his mouth. I watched him, matching him with my own breathing.

"You're going to be just fine." He held me closely and I uncurled from my ball, continuing to breath deeply.


	20. Secrets

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **October 31st, 2010**

 _Think of us like Dr. Frankenstein, and you're our beautiful monster._ I awoke in a panic, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. When I checked the clock, it read two am. Knowing that I wasn't going to get back to sleep on my own, I climbed out of bed, dropping my pajamas on the floor and heading to the bathroom. I stepped into the bathroom and faced the mirror on the back of the door. All over my body, primarily my abdomen and back, was littered with fading white scars. But there were two that stood out. They weren't completely noticeable, but they were there. I couldn't see the thin pink scar on my spine, but the pink scar running from my chest to a inch or two above my navel always seemed to be staring back at me.

 _It won't hurt as much if you stop fighting it._ I stepped into the shower, turning on the water and letting the warmth wash away the sweat clinging to my skin. I just washed everything, scrubbing the perspiration out of my hair and off my body. It didn't take long before I rinsed all of the suds off and stepped out of the shower. I just rang out my hair and dried off, walking back into my bedroom and putting on fresh undergarments. Instead of another pair of pajamas, I put on a pair of leggings and a dark green waffle shirt.

 _We're just helping you. You'll be perfect when we're finished._ The voice seemed so optimistic as I put on a pair of combat boots. I grabbed my phone and put it in the side of my boot before silently heading down the hall to the stairs, running my fingers through my wet hair. I snuck through the house trying to not be seen. My luck almost ran out when Dick walked past with a late night snack from the kitchen. He passed without paying any attention and I was off on my way. I found my way to my father's room, peeking in to see if he was there and he wasn't. I made my way to the study, sniffing the air. He hasn't been in here for a few hours. I crouched behind a desk and checked the news on my phone. He was currently on the late night news, chasing armed robbers in the Batmobile. This was as good a time as any.

 _Such a beautiful specimen, what a shame it would have been if she was wasted._ The words rang in my ears as I changed the time on the grandfather clock to _10:47_. The bookcase slid open and I slipped inside, taking the express elevator down. I made one last check around the cave, only to find Alfred pre-occupied with using the Bat Computer to aid my dad in finding a strategic way to take the armed robbers down. Lucky me that he didn't notice the faint sound of the express elevator. I slipped past him and went down the little stone steps the Zeta Tubes. I fiddled with the programming of the computer to specifically not announce the next teleportation departure. With that, I programmed it for Central City and walked through.

 _Stop fighting it, no one is coming for you_. It was hard to be in the downtown of Central City, but I immediately reoriented myself, climbing part of a building and stealthily dropped onto a minivan, careful to not make a suspicious amount of noise. I managed to get in the ballpark of my destination before dropping off the back of the car and hopping onto another, heading more accurately in the desired direction. Once I was in a few blocks radius, I just gave up on car hopping and sprinted. It didn't take long before I was in the front yard of a yellow house, matching the other suburban styled houses around the block aside from the pale yellow color. I skirted around the side of the house, only to find the bedroom light on and shining out from the second floor window. I climbed the tree growing beside it and jumped, digging my claws into the little stone ledge and silencing the landing by cushioning the impact of my feet on the wall below. I peeked inside and saw Wally on the floor with an array of school books and a computer. I shifted my weight just enough to tap the window and pull myself up, holding onto the sides and keeping my feet on the ledge. He turned his head and saw me with slightly tired eyes, waving me in. I pulled open the window and slipped inside.

"It's after midnight, might I ask why the Halloween Princess has graced me with her presence?" He asked with a smile as I kicked off my shoes, slowly sitting down next to him. "Happy Birthday." He said as I bent down to kiss him. The second we made physical contact, I felt a relaxing wave of exhaustion was over me.

"I couldn't sleep." I told him quietly before I sat down next to him, skimming over what he was studying, American History.

"I haven't been to sleep yet. Maybe if you helped me study, I could actually get a good grade on this test. Then we can go to sleep." He bartered, knowing that the only thing he beat me at was science and some kinds of math.

"Yeah okay, let me see your study guide." I said, and he handed it to me. Helping him with this slowly relaxed me, doing something menial with him. I managed to get him at at least an eighty five percent accuracy before he started a series of yawns. With the promise of helping him again later, we climbed into his twin bed. I was having trouble keeping my eyes open when he pushed down to give me a little kiss, but upon instinct, I made it something more. The sliding movement put me on top of him, kissing him as his hands trailed down my back. My hands had minds of their own as my claws ejected and ripped off his shirt. He laughed as he carefully pulled mine off, leaving me in my bra. But I felt him stop, staring at the long scar running from my chest to my abdomen. Usually, I've had it skillfully hidden with cleavage and makeup despite it slowly fading to a barely noticeable pink line. Chills ran through my body as his finger lightly traced the line.

"Sylvia…" He whispered, his eyes slowly beginning to fill with pity.

"Ignore it." I demanded as I bent back down into a passionate kiss. He hesitated, but fell back into it with me. But his hand touched my spine, making me involuntarily jerk, my spine curving away from his hand and into him.

"Sylvie," he started, sitting up and angling me to the side so he can look at my back, seeing the long scar running the length of my spine. "You know you can trust me, I'm not going to hurt you." He sighed, laying back down.

"I know, I just couldn't help it." I huffed, leaning in to kiss him. His hand went to the same spot and this time I didn't shudder, embracing the endearing feeling of his grazing touch. We had never been this close to each other before, and it just seemed so natural. But the dream ended when I had to pull away for a somehow aggressive yawn.

"I'm thinking we should get to sleep." He laughed quietly, pulling me off of him to lay at his side.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted. Goodnight, Wallace." I said, not bothering to grab my shirt to put it back on.

"Goodnight, Sylvia." He smiled as we laid there. The contact seemed to work as I finally drifted to sleep with him, one arm around me while the other rested to his side, still clunky in his cast. I slowly shifted, facing him as I buried my face in his chest, our legs intertwining. Just like most nights this week, this contact silenced the horrible memories that tended to flood my mind the second I try to close me eyes. But with him, it was different.

* * *

 **Central City**

I slowly opened my eyes, remembering where I was as I felt my nose pressing against Wally's chest. One of his hands was lightly tracing lines on my back, but when he ran over my spine, I knew he was tracing the fading scars. I didn't want to move yet, just enjoying myself for the time being, knowing I wouldn't be this happy when I left, despite it being my sixteenth birthday today. But, I just had to put on a smile and keep focused during patrol. I pushed back from him and looked up into his big green eyes.

"Good morning, birthday girl." He spoke softly, causing me to smile as he tucked a few stray strands of black hair behind my ear.

"Happy Halloween, West." I leaned in and kissed him. He pulled me closer, and I shifted so I was on top of him. The two of us kept going until there was a knock on his bedroom door. I immediately jumped off of him and rolled under the bed, taking my shoes with me as the door opened. I saw his mom's feet walk in, my heart skipping a beat despite my uncanny ability to go undetected.

"Breakfast will be ready soon, I thought I'd make sure you were awake before hand." Mrs. West said as she stood there. I covered my mouth to make sure she wouldn't hear my breathing.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a bit." He said and she just walked out, shutting the door behind her as he got out of bed. I rolled out from under the bed and stood up, pulling on my shoes as Wally stripped down to his boxers, changing into jeans and a longsleeve.

"I should probably go." I said, checking the time. It was about eight here, which means it's nine in Gotham. Hopefully, they haven't figured out that I'm not in my room.

"You can stay if you want, have breakfast with us." He offered, but I shook my head.

"I'm cutting it kind of close this time. But I'll be back tonight. We'll have to set an alarm so we don't wake up so late this time. I was almost late to school on Friday." I told him, making sure I had my phone before sliding his window open.

"Alright, well I'll miss you at the dance." He said, placing his hand on my hips, giving me another kiss.

"I know, and I'm sorry I can't come. Maybe next year you can tag along on the Gotham Halloween patrol." I told him giving him one last kiss. "Thanks for this again. I know it's just sleep but I needed it." I told him, a smile spreading across his face, but instead of letting me climb out the window, he grabbed my in a strong embrace and pulled me into him. "I really have to go, Wally." I tried to weasel my way out of his grasp, but he held on.

"You should stay, tell Bruce that you just came to my house for breakfast. He won't know you came in the middle of the night." He tried to convince me, but I knew I couldn't stay.

"I don't my leash tighter that it already is. If i get caught, Wildcat becomes a house cat." I gave him a peck on the lips before stepping back to the window.

"I'll see you tonight I guess." He sighed, and I couldn't help it, closing in for one last endearing kiss before I climbed out the window, silently dropping and running off to get back to the Zeta tube.

* * *

 **Gotham**

I slipped out of the study, making my way into my bedroom to take off my shoes and get ready for the day. I changed out of my comfy clothes and put on a burgundy skater dress, black tights, and a short pair of boots the same color as the dress. I quickly brushed out my long black hair and brushed my teeth before heading downstairs. Following the smell of my breakfast, I found myself in the kitchen. Dick was half asleep in his chair as I sat down.

"Good Morning, Master Sylvia. And might I say Happy Birthday?" Alfred spoke kindly, placing a plate of eggs and jellied toast before me.

"Good Morning, Alfred." I replied quietly and respectfully as I stared at the food, hesitating to eat. My father came in, frowning for only a moment as he glanced at my untouched plate of breakfast.

"Happy Birthday, Sylvia." He kissed me on the forehead before sitting down across from me and Dick. His mouth hung open just barely, but his eyes fluttered open the second Alfred set down a large cup of coffee. He jumped in his seat the moment he realized I was sitting next to him.

"Happy Birthday." He smiled, grabbing the coffee and taking a large sip.

"Do either of you have plans for Halloween this evening?" Alfred asked, setting a plate of breakfast in front of my father.

"Only if you count helpin' out with the crazies, just like every year." Dick smiled, finally getting into his breakfast, washing it down with coffee. I didn't say anything, fearing that if I did, it wouldn't come out right.

"Sylvia, are you going on patrol tonight? Or would you like to spend your birthday with your friends in Happy Harbor?" My father spoke up, but I just couldn't bring myself to speak. All I really felt like doing was fidgeting with one of the two slices of toast on my plate. "Sylvia." My father spoke again, trying to get my attention.

"Patrol." I spoke quickly in a low tone, finally taking a bite out of the toast. There seemed to be a light of optimism coming from my father before it quickly faded as I didn't take another. Everyone stayed in silence as they finished their breakfast. I took a few more bites of egg and one more of the toast before excusing myself. The moment I returned to my bedroom, a phone when off, but it wasn't my usual cell phone.

"Hello?" I answered the burner, locking my door before proceeding.

"Just wanted to say Happy Birthday, kitten." I heard my mother's voice purr on the other end of the line.

"Thanks, but now's not really a good time." I droned. But it seemed that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Oh come on now darling, I want to give you a birthday present." She said into the phone, trying to peak my interest.

"I'm busy today, the crazies run wild on halloween." I told her with a sigh; a moment of silence passed on the other end of the line.

"I'll meet you in our usual spot after school tomorrow then." She said in a happy tone before hanging up like it was nothing. I just tossed the burning back into its place in a secret compartment in my desk. I knew I was right to turn her down since this was the most active day of the year for the mentally impaired.

* * *

 **Downtown Gotham**

"You stupid clown! What is with you and wanting to stab me?!" I shouted at the Joker just after one of his knives slashed through my suit, piercing my arm. I was infuriated that he was one of the ones involved in the Arkham Prison break, though I'm not surprised since he's almost always at the head of creating chaos.

"What can I say? You're cute when you squirm." He grumbled in a low tone, continuing to slash at me as I flipped out of the way of every blow, dancing around him as I strategized. Batman and Robin had their hands full with Solomon Grundy and Clayface. Other's we still galavanting around the city.

"You're one sadistic son of a bitch." I barked, finally pouncing at him with my claws at the ready. I pinned his wrists to the ground, forcing him to drop the knives as I pressed my knee into his throat. Just as I reached for the handcuffs in my toolbelt, he covered his mouth, someone concealed off to the side throwing a gas grenade over. The gas came out at an alarming rate as I let go of Joker to reach a re-breather.

"Sorry, Wildcat, but I can't let you do that." Scarecrow revealed himself as he kicked me off of Joker, grabbing my rebreather and crushing it under his foot. I tried to hold my breath, but Joker pounded his fist into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me and forcing me to gasp for air. The smoke curled into my nose as I saw the blonde scientist standing before me, next to the Joker. His smile seemed like it was so stretched that his face would fall off as the two stood before me. The blonde scientist seemed to have black slime oozing from his mouth as his eyes glowed red. But I took a stance, ready to fight anyway as I took deep breaths.

"Poor kitty cat, can't seem to keep your balance." Joker laughed as I stumbled to the right a bit, my hallucination growing to his skin peeled and ripping on his face with every word, but it just infuriated me. Joker charged as Scarecrow pulled a syringe out of his lab coat.

"I'm not that easy to subdue." I growled, slashing at his face before vaulting backwards, out of his reach. But I stumbled upon my landing, the scientist version of the Scarecrow injecting the syringe into my neck. Excruciating pain burst through me as I struggled to fight the clown dragging me deeper into the dead end alleyway.

"Look's like you are now." The clown chuckled, pleased with his handiwork as he just started beating me. I cried out in pain as he gave me one more swift kick, pausing to let Scarecrow draw a vile of my blood. Just as the Joker picked me up from the ground, I tapped the buckle on my belt, sending out a distress signal to Batman and Robin. As he punched me in the side, I pulled out a tracker, tucking it inside his jacket with slight of hand while he It was a few minutes of the Joker bloodying my face body before he left me on the ground, disappearing into the night. It wasn't long after they left that Batman and Robin had arrived, bits of clay spattered on their uniforms. But in my mind, it looked like blood dripping from them. My father just scooped me up and started carrying me to the Batmobile with Robin following closely behind us.

"What happened?" He questioned as he laid me down in the back seat of the Batmobile. Robin climbed in the passenger seat as my father got into the driver's seat. The hallucinations were fading.

"They gasses me with a diluted version of the fear toxin as a distraction. I'll be fine in a few minutes." I sighed, trying to keep my breathing a steady rate while we drove.

"Who's they?" Robin asked, looking back at me from the front seat.

"Joker and Scarecrow. I placed and activated a tracker on Joker, I'm sure you have a fair chance at catching him tonight, but I'll probably slow you down." I sighed, pulling my cowl off as I slowly sat up, catching my bloody reflection in one of the windows. My eyes were already beginning to swell and blacken.

"I'm dropping the two of you off at the Zeta-tube. Robin will take you back to the Batcave while I pursue Joker and Scarecrow." Batman informed us as the Batmobile made a sharp turn. I kept looking in my reflection as the cuts and bruising on my face. There was a gash running parallel to the top of my right eyebrow that would probably need stitches and my lips were split in multiple places along with bruises already beginning to little my face. With the height of my pain tolerance, the most I was worrying about was what excuse I would have to make at school, and how Wally was going to react.


	21. Misplaced pt 1

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **November 5th, 2010**

We were standing in the hangar, waiting for the Bioship to land while Wally tilted my chin up, checking my face from under my lowered baseball cap. When I woke up this morning, all of the swelling had gone down and my bruised were darker than ever. But lucky for me, Alfred set my nose that night and stitched the gash above my eyebrow. But Wally just seemed to get angry every time he saw then, realizing how personal it was considering how concentrated the injuries were on my face compared to the single cut on my arm and the puncture wound from the syringe. The feel of his warm fingers lightly checking my stitches and making sure the splits in my lips were closing up alright was making me anxious. He sighed as he reached to take off my had to get a better look, but my hand whipped up and grabbed his wrist.

"The hat stays on." I glared at him, releasing his wrist from my hand. Wally hesitated for a moment, looking into my vibrant green eyes with his own. The moment of tension rolled in like a thunderstorm as the silence became deafening. But the tension ceased and he backed down.

"Fine, I'm sorry." He said as the Bioship opened. Out came Superboy and M'gann with crates of goods. Superboy carried more than his fair share of weight while M'gann levitated massive boxes of food.

"Did you get everything?" Batman asked from the group standing in wait to aid in unloading the ship.

"Everything on your list, Batman. Plus groceries." M'gann smiled, setting down the boxes of food. Wally immediately ran up to the box of heaven.

"Cookie fixins?" He asked the martian with excitement pouring into his voice.

"Snickerdoodles." M'gann grinned, feeling a sense of accomplishment for pleasing the biggest eater in the team.

"Babe, you rock my world." He smiles like an idiot as he stared into the box of food. I cleared my voice as I elbowed him in the side.

"You know what I mean!" He stammered, trying to recover from his thoughtless statement.

"I know, I'm just giving you a hard time." I laughed, leaning into him as he slipped his arm around me, his hand resting on my hip. I heard the elevator arrive at the hangar floor, the doors sliding open with a _whoosh_. I looked over past Wally's shoulder and saw Artemis and someone I hadn't expected to see, and knew Robin would flip when he saw.

"Glad you're back, Zatanna. Does this mean you're officially joining the team?" Artemis asked the petite girl as they walked out of the elevator, but Zatanna grew a weary expression when she heard her father speak an incantation. He levitated a few crates away before Tornado took the last larger one.

"I don't know… Zatara's so overprotective. I mean, just getting him let me visit takes a full day wheedling." She shrugged. I just looked over to my dad, impulsively studying his manner as Robin and I tend to do when he's leading. "I wish he'd just give me a little space." I heard Zatanna say and almost as if on queue, Batman, Zatara and Tornado disappeared in a flash of gold light. I almost cried out for him as Zatara's crate crashed to the ground, but Zatanna beat me to it.

"Dad!" She screamed. Almost everyone gasped as she screamed. I immediately ran to look for them in the cave, but I couldn't find a single trace, not anywhere.

* * *

 **Happy Harbor**

"We've set a refugee center at the high school gym." Wally reported into the comm as we carried kids to the Happy Harbor High School. We couldn't find a single adult, even some of the high school senior class missing. "Any luck with…?" Wally asked, neither of us expecting the answer we hoped for.

"No!" Robin snapped. "Can't reach the Batcave, the Hall of Justice or the Watch …or any adult hero. Even Red Arrow." He sighed. Robin was in the Cave control room with Zatanna, coordinating the rest of us as we rounded up all of the unattended children.

"Guess we're on our own. Kid Flash, out." Wally shut off the comm and looked to me, each of us with a kid on our back and a kid in our arms. We both ran for the school, Wally slowing up a bit to keep at my pace. We met up with M'gann outside as she stopped to teens from vandalizing the school. Superboy soon followed with a little boy in a Superman shirt. We all walked in together to bring the kids inside, finding Artemis with all the second graders and under.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star…" She sang, stopping the think as we brought the kids in. "Yes sir, yes sir, Three bags full." She continued, the kids erupting in laughter.

"That's not twinkle, twinkle, that's Baa Baa Black Sheep!" One of the kids exclaimed amongst their laughter. Artemis couldn't help but laugh as well, stopping and pretending to have trouble remembering the song.

"Uh Q-R-S-T-U-V…" She paused, seeing Wally, M'gann and I.

"That's ABC's!" Another child squealed as Wally and I carried our packages to the mat with the other children.

"Oh, for me? Thank you." Wally said as the child he held handed him his sippy cup. His awkwardness was endearing as he gripped the mouth of the cup with two fingers.

"Did you call home?" Artemis asked Wally, and he just looked at the floor as I set the kid in my arms on the mat and removed the other from his.

"No answer." He sighed rubbing his hand on the back of his neck for a brief moment.

"You could zeta there." She reminded him in a sad tone. I knew she was struggling since her mom had disappeared.

"I've been collecting kids all day. I don't need to see another empty house." Wally exhaled, staring at the floor. Just as I was about to reach out and comfort him, Superboy kicked open the gym door to outside. We all looked in his direction and saw the glorious site of an uncomfortable Superboy with a child in each arm and a third sitting on his shoulders, playing around in his hair.

"Got three more." He announced in a defeated voice, walking over to the mat to put all three of the children with the others. It wasn't long before we left a band of trustworthy teenagers in charge of the younger children in the gym. We all together ran back to the Cave, suiting up for the inevitable statement we would have to release to the abandoned children of the world. Robin setup the camera and used a small remote to activate the camera.

"Attention, children and teenagers of Earth." Aqualad began, his tone convicted and commanding. "I am Aqualad. These are my friends, Robin and Kid Flash." He introduced as the rest of us stood off to the side.

"We are using Justice League's tech to cast and stream to every TV, radio, computer and smartphone on the planet." Robin informed our assumed audience. I couldn't stop tapping my claws against my thighs, waiting for it to be over so we could hear what the plan was.

"We know you must be scared and angry. We know with your parents missing, there's a temptation to run wild. But please, stay calm." Kid managed to convey his message so well, that I suddenly stopped tapping, but it quickly ensued again as Aqualad opened his mouth.

"We will find a way to bring the adults back. But for now, the oldest among you must step up." Aqualad got the ball rolling for the last few lines to come.

"Take care of your younger siblings." Robin said, the words sounding odd as I knew that he was getting to be that age that I didn't have to take care of him so much anymore. "Take care of kids who have no one."

"Protect them." Kid Flash chimed in. His eyes drifted away from the camera for a moment, meeting mine.

"It is up to you." Aqualad. "Please, help in any way you can. As the responsibility falls to us, we must stand strong for the children who cannot until we have resolved the issue of the missing adults." A few moments after he finished speaking, Robin clicked off the camera. Kid immediately walked to me and lead me to the kitchen. He started making a sandwich as I sat down, pulling off my cowl and setting my head on the table as it was finally hitting me. My dad was gone and without a doubt, Alfred was as well. All I had right now was Dick and he had his head too deep into the mission to show any real emotion. Sometimes he could really shut himself down.

"We'll get them back." Kid reminded me just before he bit into his triple layered sandwich. I sat up and took a deep breath, relaxing myself as I watched him take another bite of his sandwich.

"I know, but it just all feels wrong." I told him, tightly crossing my arms as my body shuddered in chills. He put down the sandwich and wiped his hands off on a napkin before sitting next to me. He just took my hand into his and squeezed lightly, our green eyes meeting in a lasting gaze.

* * *

"Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!" Zatanna cast before a hologram of the Earth. We all watching with anticipation as a red dot appeared on the east coast of the United States. The second I saw the dot, hope ignited in my chest.

"Coordinates locked. Roanoke Island! You did it." Robin said to Zatanna as she looked back, but she didn't look sure of her own abilities. I understood the feeling, but now wasn't the time to feel bad, now was the time to bring the adults back.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry about having to split the chapter into two parts! My computer decided it wouldn't upload the whole 3,719 words... so... But I hope you all liked the newest update!**


	22. Misplaced pt 2

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **November 6th, 2010**

"Shazam!" We all recognized the booming voice of Captain Marvel echoing through the cave as lightning struck and a small boy appeared in it's place.

"It works!" He celebrated as we all ran over to him, realizing the security breach.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?" Aqualad jumped into interrogation.

"Quick! Read my mind!" The kid stood with a smirk on his face, staring straight at M'gann. Her eyes glowed green for a moment before dissipating, her eyes wide.

"He's Captain Marvel." She, as well of the rest of us, experienced a wave of shock. But, Wally wasn't having it.

"Yeah, and I'm Speedy Gonzales. Look, just because he believes he's Cap-" Wally tried to explain otherwise, but the kid had other ideas.

"Gee, Wally, do I really have to bring you nachos and pineapples juice to get on your good side?" The kid smirked, his words leaving with a wide-eyed, empty headed expression. Since no one was going to say anything about it, I decided now was as good a time as any.

"Well, ten year old Cap explained a _lot_." I said, eyeing the kid in the middle of the room. It wasn't long before the Captain was slipping between dimensions, giving us communication with the adults. But more importantly to me, we were in communication with my father.

"There will be threats in both dimensions, and we may not be familiar with our opponents." The kid said after returning from the adult dimension.

"But the key to this mission is a coordinated simultaneous attack." Aqualad responded, the kid disappearing for a few moments before returning.

"Agreed. Our best chance against sorcery is to strike fast, disrupt their efforts." He relayed, waiting patiently for Aqualad.

"And hope the two dimensions merge naturally back into one." He added to the final statement, Captain disappearing once again. before returning with the game plan.

* * *

 **Roanoke Island, North Carolina**

 **November 6th**

 **1:45 a.m.**

The Bioship landed a few miles away from where we spotted Klarion in a pentagram. The second the ship landed, Kid ran ahead with me on his back for scouting while the others came at their own pace. Once the whole Team was in place, we all waited for the top of the hour to attack simultaneously with the leaguers. The moment the clock struck two, Robin threw explosives at the same time Artemis fired several arrows. But Klarion deflected them like they were nothing, leaving the two heroes in a brief state of shock.

"That's the best you can do?" Klarion asked in a small voice, waving his clawed hand and sending the arrows and explosives back, detonating them at Robin's and Artemis's feet. They cried out as they tried to dodge the fire. I pounced in outraged, starting the second attack with Aqualad, Superboy and Kid Flash joining in as we all attacked from different paths of the crossroad. But the witchboy put up a shield, knocking us all back. Zatanna tried to cast a spell to break the field, but nothing happened.

"Huh, baby magic." Klarion cast a counterspell that shot her into the air with a shrill scream, but Superboy caught her and set her safely on the ground. I ran after Klarion and began slashing my claws at the forcefield as M'gann used her telekinesis to pound rocks into the shield. But I made a hasty retreat as Klarion began to roar and breath fire at the two of us. I regrouped with Kid and Artemis.

"Listen, when Nabu possessed my body, he defeated Klarion by attacking the cat!" Kid quickly informed, Artemis and I zeroing in on the orange feline licking it's paw. It seemed to look back at us before hissing.

"Good. Not a big cat fan, anyway." Artemis whispered knocking an arrow.

"Oh, thanks." I said sarcastically as she shot an arrow at the cat, but Klarion made it turn into a simple ball of green yarn. I sprinted ahead, claws at the ready as the witch boy chuckled.

"Show 'em what a familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do, Teekl." The cat began to quadruple in size. Becoming a sabre toothed tiger version of that tiny cat, but I kept running as it roared. I dodged the first swipe of it's claws before slashing my own across the beast's face. Klarion's force field flickered for a moment as the monster cried out in pain. I seemed successful as I went in for another blow, but the beast attacked in a fit of rage.

"Wildcat!" Kid yelled as the beast pinned me to the ground, digging its claws into me as I did my best to push its snapping jaws away from my face. But Superboy came to my rescue, tackling the beast, giving me enough time to retreat and recover for the next attack. I looked over and noticed electricity coming from the gem in the center of the pentagram, Klarion standing weaker.

"So, you teamed up with the grown-ups. Teamwork is so overrated." He spoke snidely, channeling the electricity at all of us. Aqualad held his ground as the rest of us were blasted back as Superboy was swatted around by the magically enhanced cat.

"Kid!" I shrieked as the searing pain of the electricity ran through my body. I felt like I couldn't breath as the world around me flickered between the lab and the crossroads. One minute I was drowning in the electrocuted water tank. I convulsed and choked as the electricity refused to cease. The pain burned through me as I was beginning to lose consciousness.

"You and the other brats have no way out of this one. But you could come with me, me dear _kitten_ , and I can show you the _Light_." Klarion seemed to speak softly towards me as my body went limp and the electricity stopped. I couldn't move as I suddenly remembered the Brain when I collapsed in India.

" _Why attack moi, when I can take you to your_ creators." _He said with his mechanical french voice, and I stopped in my tracks. "Come with me, my dear_ kitten _, and I can show you the_ Light _." The brain said, and it seemed like a play on words, but I knew the term from somewhere._ My head drifted to the side seeing Zatanna holding the Helmet of Fate.

"Zatanna!" Aqualad shouted as she lifted the helmet into the air.

"Stop!" Kid yelled as she put on the helmet. In a flash of light, she became a female version of Doctor Fate.

"Klarion! This ends now!" I heard Zatanna's voice layered with Doctor Fates. Suddenly, I felt the rush of wind as Kid ran me out of Klarion's range, laying me down next to M'gann.

"You okay?" He asked, holding my limp hand.

"B-brain…" I tried to tell him, but I was half drooling, unable to move, just like in the jungle.

"I know, you're head probably hurts right now. I'm going to leave you with M'gann and I'll be back, I promise." He said before running off to Klarion. There were Flashes of Gold and Red in the night sky as M'gann used her telekinesis to bring the unconscious duo of Robin and Artemis to our secluded area. Aqualad retreated to us as well as Kid came back as took a breather. Once the unconscious two were settled next to Aqualad.

"Go, Kid!" Aqualad ordered as M'gann started to fly away as well, but I managed to swat at her ankle. She knelt down and put a hand on my shoulder.

"What is it?" She asked, her face concerned.

"B-brain…" I told her like I tried to tell Kid. She nodded.

"I know, you're in pain." She said, turning to leave but I managed to speak again.

"R-read… m-mind…" My voice shook as I struggled, and her eyes suddenly glowed green. Her face seemed horror stricken for a moment as he delved into my mind, but she quickly pulled out and nodded. "For… forg-getting…" I said to her as my eyelids grew heavy.

"Don't worry, I won't forget." She promised as she flew back into battle. My eyes drifted closed as I saw Dr. Fate flicker between being Fate and Zatanna and Klarion laughing.

"See you later, armadillos!" I heard Klarion say as my eyes drifted back open. "Unless I see you first! Too bad I'm only going back with one cat." He met my gaze as he stepped through a portal and disappeared.

"Aren't you gonna stop him?" Kid asked Fate, waving his arms in aggravation, the right one still in a cast.

"To what end? Klarion is Chaos personified. He cannot be contained." Fate informed as my entire body twitched for a split second. My father rushed to my side as I lay there. He scooped me off the ground and held me as I slowly gained function, the ability to move my fingers returning.

"Did we win?" Robin asked as he got up from the ground.

"At a cost." Aqualad gestured to Zatanna in the Helmet of Fate.

"Fate!" Zatara approached the Lord of Order possessing his daughter. "Great Nabu, release my daughter." He pleaded, but the deafening silence was too much for any of us to bear.

"No." The response was not a surprise based on our track record with the helmet. "Witnesses have been these last past hours… The world needs Doctor Fate, and the girl's natural affinities for the mystic arts make her the perfect candidate." The Lord of Order explained, but that only made the Team angrier.

"You can't do that!" Artemis shouted.

"She has her own life to live!" Robin followed suit.

"Kent would never allow you-" Wally started, but Nabu cut him off.

"Kent Nelson did object, strenuously, so I released his spirit to the afterlife. He is gone." When Doctor Fate finished, everyone looked about, not sure what to do. We couldn't save our friend, but Zatara stepped forward.

"Take me, instead." Zatara offered. "My skills are already at their peak. My body is physically stronger, better able to withstand the strength of your power." He did his best to convince the mystical being to release his daughter.

"All true. But if I remove the helmet, what guarantee have I that you will down it?" Doctor Fate saw through the chance that Zatara could walk away with his daughter. But knowing Zatara, he was willing.

"My word." He said a sort of incantation, and not long after did Nabu levitate down and remove the helmet, Zatanna free at last.

"Dad!" She exclaimed.

"Zatanna!" He embraced his daughter quickly before pulling away. "Remember. I love you." He whispered before giving her a kiss on the forehead. She seemed so confused as to his goodbye. He turned and looked to my father as he held me. "Take care of my girl." Zatara said as he took the helmet out of Zatanna's hands.

"You have my word." My father said as Zatara lifted the helmet above his head.

"No, please! This was my fault! Dad, don't!" Robin tried to comfort her as she yelled, but she pushed him away, running to her father to try and stop him from putting on the hemet. "Dad!" She screamed as he donned the helmet, instantly becoming Doctor Fate.

"Leave these to the Fate." The Lord of Order spoke as he flew away with the sorcerers that aided Klarion. Zatanna fell to her knees, watching her father teleport away.

* * *

 **Mount Justice**

I was sitting on a hard table in the mission room in the the cave. My father stood across from me in full Bat costume with M'gann to his right. The two of them had… _grave_ expressions as they looked at me. I shifted to lay on the table as M'gann came over by my head, putting her hands on either side of my head. Her eyes glowed green as the time from when I passed out flashed before my eyes. But it was more than me struggling on the ground. I was suddenly remembering the Brain, how the same statement from him as Klarion had triggered me into paralysis. The sentence slipped out of my mouth as I remembered.

"Come with me, my dear _kitten_ , and I can show you the _Light_."

 **Author's Note: Sorry about having to split the chapter into two parts! My computer decided it wouldn't upload the whole 3,719 words... so... But I hope you all liked the newest update!**


	23. Coldhearted

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update! I've had a lot of school work but hopefully I'm back on track now!**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Central City**

 **November 11, 2010**

It's been a week now since I've stopped sleeping at Wally's. It's been a lot easier to sleep alone now that the bruises are fading along with my anxiety. But on this fine morning, I woke up having slept the entire night and got ready for the day in good spirits. Right now it was snowing as I took a cab from the downtown Central City Zeta-tube to the West Residence with a Birthday present in hand for Wally. The second I climbed out of the taxi, my feet sank into the snow. It was about a foot deep as I trudged through in my boots. Oddly enough, Gotham was getting the same weather. I knocked on the door and it wasn't long before his mother, Mary, answered.

"Good morning, Sylvia." She smiled. It was easy to be around this house, they knew both of my identities and didn't even make a fuss about anything. I'm always treated differently as Sylvia and other heroes I've met beside the Team think I'm something to be feared because of my mentor. But here, it's like I'm just a normal human being.

"Good morning, Mrs. West." I smiled as walked in. Stepping out of my boots and leaving them on the mat by the door.

"He's upstairs still, his alarm should go off any minute if you want to go up." She said as I hung my coat up in the closet.

"Alright, I'll bring this to him now then." I smiled, grabbing the present from the hall table and walking up stairs. I straightened my long grey sweater as I walked down the upstairs hallway to his room, the present behind my back. The second I walked into his room, his alarm started going off. I stood next to his night stand and waited as he mindlessly reached out to the alarm clock and pressed the off button. I watched as he rolled onto his back and stretched as a yawn escaped his lips. I sat on his bed with a flop and he just smiled, opening his eyes to the sight of his present in my hands.

"Is that _all_ you're going to give me?" He asked and I rolled my eyes, leaning in and kissing him. Now that his arm was free of the cast, he ran his hand through my hair as the other pulled me on top of him. It was a few minutes before I stopped him.

"I actually used the front door so I suggest you open your present now." I laughed as I got off his bed, letting him unwrap the box. I went to his closet and started rummaging through his clothes to find him something to wear.

"Sylvia, you didn't have to do this." He stopped as he looked into the box. I grinned, knowing I got him the perfect present. He pulled the black camera out of the box and pressed the on button. I reached out and put the strap over his head so he couldn't drop it. He pressed the shutter release and snapped a picture of me, sitting on his bed in all my excitement.

"I thought since you like souvenirs so much, you could take little souvenirs of things other than missions." I smiled as he took another picture of me.

"Here," he handed me the camera. "Take one of me." He laughed as I took hold of the camera and he put the bow from the box on his head. I snapped the picture of his gleeful smile and got up from the bed, giving him his present back. As he pulled out the case and noticed the other two lenses, memory cards, and filters, I went to his closet and started pulling out some clothes for him to put on. He couldn't go to his surprise party in his pajamas. It wasn't long before he was dressed in a fitted red long sleeve and black jeans. The two of us quickly headed down stairs after he brushed his teeth. We sat down at the dining room table as his mother set down one last plate of food. He slid the camera to me as he picked up his fork and knife.

"Happy Birthday, Wally." Mary said with a smile, seeing her son marvel in the amount of food.

"Oh, my favorite breakfast! Heaping piles of everything! Thanks, Mom." Wally said as he began to fill his plate with food. I took a picture of him as he dug into his food before loading a small plate of my own. Wally's father, Rudy, sat down at the other end of the table as he read a newspaper. There was a sort of weird feeling in the air between the three of them.

"You know, if you ever come up for air, I can take you to the DMV to get your driver's license after school." Rudy put down his newspaper. "This weather would be a good proving ground." His tone seemed to send chills through Mary. I could smell the faint smell of perspiration and hear her heart beat picking up. Wally seemed engrossed in his food, but Rudy seemed to be making Mary uncomfortable. I honed my sense of smell, and amongst the food, I found the scent of alcohol feebly masked by toothpaste. I looked to Wally and he seemed fine so I stayed quiet.

"Not really in a big rush to drive, Dad. 'Cause you know, I'm me." Wally spoke with food in his mouth.

"You certainly are." Rudy replied, looking back down at his food. Mary seemed to relax again as her husband began to eat.

"Plus, the team's throwing me a big surprise-party this afternoon, at the Cave." The second Wally finished his sentence, I dropped my fork in shock.

"Who told you?" I laughed, realizing that he had not only dropped hints about the party he wanted, but he was eavesdropping on the planning.

"M'gann is shockingly not good at hiding birthday decorations." Wally explained.

"In school today, ask your teacher the definition of _surprise_." Rudolph smiled, continuing to read the paper. Wally just laughed, the tone a little off from the laugh I was used to. "Speaking of school, why aren't you at yours?" Rudy asked me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wally freeze, his knuckles going white as he held the fork of food.

"Snow day." I said briefly, eyeing the man. "All of the schools in Gotham are closed." I told him, getting back to my breakfast as everyone else was silent. Rudy picked up his paper again and returned to his reading. Wally followed suit and returned to his eating. This was the first time I had really picked up on the tension like this.

"Well, I have a surprise for you." Mary spoke up. "Or, at least, your aunt Iris does." She clicked on the tv adjacent to the table.

"-And a special shout out to my nephew Wally, wishing him a very happy sixteenth birthday." Iris smiled as she was featured on the GBS morning broadcast.

"So cool!" Wally was impressed.

"Now, for school closures. The following schools have declared today a snow day: Dubuc Elementary, Spisak Junior High, Central City High, Keystone High-" I couldn't hear the rest of what Iris said as Wally celebrated.

"Oh, yes!" He celebrated, standing up with his fork in hand. It wasn't long before the only sound in the room was the news as everyone finished their breakfasts. Wally took a cup of orange juice with him to the living room as the two of us lounged, knowing we didn't have anything else to do today until the party.

* * *

 **The Cave**

 **A Couple Hours Later…**

 **Recognized:**

 _Kid Flash B03, Wildcat B04_

 _Zeta tube network now offline, due to extreme atmospheric conditions._

"Wow, we just made it." Wally remarked as we walked through the mission room. The Cave seemed positively empty. I pulled out my sunglasses as I'm usually instructed to as we made our way to the kitchen. I grabbed the camera and walked in front of him. "It'd be a tragedy if I miss my own-" The lights flicked on, blinding him a bit for a moment.

"Surprise!" Shouted the whole Team plus the Flash and Red Tornado as I snapped a photo of them. I turned around and took a picture of Wally as he faked a shocked expression.

"What? Oh, you guys, you shouldn't have." His acting was horrible but pleasing for him to be so happy about it.

"Right, not like you've been hinting for days, or anything." Robin joked, crossing his arms at Wally. He was once again in his usual green sweatshirt, leather jacket and sunglasses. I thought it was weird that we had to wear sunglasses even in close quarters with the rest of our team. I got behind Wally and took his coat, setting it on a chair over top of mine before I sat on the couch behind him as he sat on the floor in front of the coffee table.

"I made two cakes." M'gann smiled as she put a yellow and blue party hat on his head.

"Awesome! What will you, guys, eat?" He asked so innocently as he admired the two thickly frosted cakes.

"We'll split the cupcake. Make a wish!" M'gann smiled.

"Way ahead of you." He grinned like a child, managing to blow out all of the candles in one go as I took a photo behind him in the low lighting. The team started clapping as the birthday boy was handed a knife to cut into his own cake. I leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

"Happy Birthday, Wallace." I spoke in a low tone before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. I got up from behind him and sat next to him on the floor, taking his slice of birthday cake from him. I stole a bite of his slice as I wiped a bit of frosting from his face. He laughed a bit as I felt the back of my mind fogging. Klarion's voice started echoing in the back of my mind as I tried to shut it out. Wally didn't notice as he kept eating. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

 _It's okay, I got it._ I heard M'gann say in my mind as I turned around to see the martian kneeling next to me. Suddenly the voice disappeared and I felt fine. I gave her a quick smile before turning back to Wally, Artemis smirking and rolling her eyes just as Wally leaned over to kiss me. It was warm and tasted like his birthday cake.

"Best birthday ever." Wally whispered against my lips before pulling away. I giggled slightly as there was a flash of a camera. We both looked up to see Robin taking a picture of us with Wally's birthday present.

"Souvenir." My brother joked before setting the camera back down and taking a slice of cake to Zatanna, who was standing alone. I quickly felt keen on eavesdropping to see if my dorky little brother was going to be smoother than his usual fumbling self.

"You settling in okay?" He asked, holding the slice of cake up to her. She seemed like she was caught off guard during a deep train of thought. She didn't smile.

"Oh, yeah. Just like home." She commented sadly as she took the plate of cake, looking around at the walls of the cave like she just couldn't get used to it.

"I know this is all very new and intimidating. But I promise you, some day," He paused for a moment. "You'll get used to watching Wally eat." He joked as my boyfriend ate and entire piece of cake in one bite. I couldn't stop laughing as he chewed. I notice Flash watching us, stifling a laugh of his own. I looked over to Artemis and saw her and Kaldur standing pretty closely.

"First birthday party on the surface?" She asked him, and he nodded.

"The ones in Atlantis are a lot more formal. Especially the ones for my king and queen." Kaldur seemed happy that Artemis was actually interested in Atlantis. He rarely gets the opportunity to talk about it.

"I wish I could see Atlantis. Seems like a pretty amazing place." Artemis smiled as Kaldur looked at the floor, trying to hide a small smirk. I decided to focus on my own boyfriend as stole another kiss from him, managing to get some of the icing smeared on his mouth. But we were interrupted as the Cave intercom beeped.

"Attention, Team! Suit up. Polar stealth. Mission briefing in five." My father's voice echoed through the Cave's intercom. Everyone dropped what they were doing and went to suit up.

* * *

"Where's Flash?" Kid asked as we all stood before the holocomputer. My father's face was expanded, it was like the intimidation seemed to increase fer square foot of the screen.

"Flash and Red Tornado already have their assignments. A massive ice storm has paralyzed North America from coast to coast. Satellite imagery has detected five flying Ice Fortresses, source unknown, which seem to be responsible and must be stopped." My father paused as we all took a moment to examine the hologram of the fortresses. They were like massive hunks of metal spewing hundreds of pounds of snow from six different openings.

"Well, can't the Watchtower blow them out of the sky, or something?" Kid questioned, earning a quick elbow to the side from me.

"What's a _Watchtower_?" Zatanna asked Robin, bringing us all to realize that she didn't know. Batman sighed as he looked at Kid.

"The League's orbiting Headquarters is not weaponized. And with both Green Lanterns off-world, I need all hands on deck." The moment he finished, what was happening finally crossed my mind.

"Does this mean…?" I started, leaning forward to look over to my brother.

"The League and the Team, fighting side by side?" He picked up, the two of us getting a little giddy about it. I couldn't stand still.

"Woah, really?" Wally was surprised as well, probably because this is something he's wanted for a while and now it's happening on his birthday.

"Superboy, use the Super-Cycle to rendezvous with the Batplane at Ice Fortress one. You'll drop off Robin, Wildcat and Aqualad, then continue on with Wolf to meet up with Black Canary and Red Tornado at Ice Fortress two. Miss Martian, Artemis and Zatanna, take the Bio-Ship and rendezvous with Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter at Ice Fortress three. Other Leaguers will deal with Fortresses four and five. Sending all coordinates now." We all took in the instructions and mentally prepared for what we were about to do. But Kid walked forwards.

"Uh Batman? I think you skipped Kid Flash." He seemed a little disappointed.

"A young girl in Seattle is in desperate need of a heart transplant. With all conventional air traffic grounded by the storm, you'll need to pick up the donor heart in Boston and run the three thousand miles across country." My father instructed him for the very sensitive task.

"Who is this girl?" He asked, his tone noticeably bothered.

"Does it matter?" Bats was picking up on Kid's need to be apart of the Team up, but there were never exceptions with Batman.

"No of course not But can't we zeta-" He tried to reason, but Robin butted in.

"Zeta-Tubes are offline. Sorry." Robin tried to make it seem more reasonably to Kid, but the speedster just forced a smile.

"Right. Then how could I say no?" He kept up the smile for just a moment before looking down. "Guess I won't be needing the stealth. Speedy delivery boy, at your service." He stood before Batman's hologram with an unsure demeanor.

* * *

The Ice Fortress was falling out of the sky after we had exploded the engines that were keeping it aloft. We were all waiting for the right time to bail out. We were falling closer and closer to the ground. I felt bad that Kid Flash was missing this, as he would have been assigned to this Fortress, just as his mentor was. We were one hundred feet above the ground when I took a leap of faith, my feet leaving the plummeting metal death trap.

"Geronimo!" I screamed as I sailed through the air, aiming for a deep bank of snow. I looked back for a split second and saw Robin laughing as he sailed. Ahead of us were Aqualad, Aquaman, and the Flash. I leveled out quickly, adding as much air resistance as I could before Aquaman leaped into the air and caught me, slowing my fall at twenty feet before letting me drop to catch my brother. I landed on my feet, but the snow up to my mid thigh. Robin landed a few feet from me as he kept laughing.

"You just had to yell that didn't you?" He laughed, catching his breath with me from the tolling mission.

"Of course I did." I smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What kind of free fall would it be if I didn't?" We both broke out into hysteria as the Batplane landed a hundred yards away.

"Last one there has to clean up the Cave after Kid's party." Robin tagged my arm before sprinting for the plane.

"You little…" I sprinted after him, trudging through the fluffy snow the best I could. Aqualad, Aquaman, and Flash were following us. I tackled Robin into the snow and kept running.

"So you're going to play dirty, huh?" Robin called after me as we pushed on through the deep snow. As the landscape changed, so did the depth, making it easier to run. I let Rob catch up to me and made sure we made it to the plane at the same time.

"Too bad, I guess we both have to clean." I smiled, taking a breather with him as we waited for the others to regroup.

* * *

 **The Cave**

I found Wally standing in the souvenir room, staring at an empty organ transport container. I just stood there in the hallway, admiring him for what he did. They faked the young Queen of Vlativa's death in order to get Count Vertigo to confess, thinking he was safe as the King. Now the Count is in Belle Reve and the Queen is safe. Robin passed me and went in.

"Dude, I've just heard. You saved an entire country! Major kudos!" Robin congratulated him as I leaned in the door frame. Wally looked past Rob and looked at me.

"What can I say? I'm the man." He smirked, putting his hands on his hips. But there was so much more behind those green eyes. They were softer than earlier, happier. I lifted up his camera and took a picture. He smiled and walked over to me.

"I'll give the birthday boy some privacy." Robin laughed, leaving Wally and I alone. He gently took the camera from my hands and lightly set in on the floor. His hands rested on my lower back, pulling me into him.

"Happy Birthday, Wally."


	24. Insecurity

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update! The school work was just piling up so I didn't have much time until now. Anyways, here's the update.**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **December 5, 2010**

I walked out of the DMV with my school backpack on my back and my brand new driver's license in hand. I've known how to drive for such a long time, but this was a whole new feeling, it finally being legal for me to drive as Sylvia Wayne all by myself. The clouded sky began to rumble with thunder as my father and I walked to the car. Car upon car did we pass until we found the silver compact cadillac. I clicked the keys to open the drunk and dropped my backpack inside. I unlocked the car and my father and I climbed in, buckling our seatbelts. I started the car and pulled out of the lot like it was no problem. There was music playing low in from the speakers, Deify by Disturbed. My father was sitting uncomfortably in the car as I drove. It was bothering me how he was behaving while I was driving. The second I slowed to a stop at a red light, I opened my mouth.

"What, am I a bad driver?" I asked him, the annoyance bleeding into my voice. He simply laughed and shook his head like nothing was wrong.

"You're not a bad driver, it's just hard to let your child drive you for the first time." He reminded me that this was the first time he had ever been in the car with me. I started to get a little sympathetic to his state of mind. It's like the time Dick drove the Batmobile while my arm was in a cast so we could rendezvous with our mentor on the outskirts of Gotham. Although he was a horrible driver the first time. Way too touchy.

"Well, I guess that makes sense." I sighed, focusing on the road as the light turned green. I drove forward and pulled into the right lane, getting ready to turn, making my way to Wayne Enterprises. "So, Mr. Fox has something to show us?" I asked, getting a bit excited to visit the R&D department. Those were always the best kind of trips to Wayne Enterprises, as all of the other board members are such stiffs when it comes to Dick and I visiting the company in hopes of one of us taking over one day. They may have high hopes for us, but they don't show it well.

"Lucious has something for _you_. Think of it as an early Christmas present for Wildcat." He smirked. A smile crept upon my face as I drove. We hit another red light and I pulled to a stop, taking a deep breath as I turned the heat up higher. As we waited for the notoriously long light to turn, I lightly traced my fingers across the wheel, feeling the pur of the engine. It wasn't the fastest car in our garage, but it also wasn't mine. It felt weird driving it, knowing that this was the same car I was always in the back seat of as Alfred would drive Dick and I to school. Alfred wasn't even here to see me driving. He was back at the Manor, helping Dick build his project for the science fair.

"What do you think the new gadget is?" I asked. "I wonder if it's a new taser, or electrified escrima sticks. Those are on my list." I wondered happily as I looked out across the way, an all black SUV pulling up with blacked out windows. In Gotham, the passengers could be anyone from street thugs to the mayor.

"Why would you need escrima sticks of your claws are your best assets?" My father questions, the calculation of his train of thought becoming less and less subtle. I heard the sound of an engine rev off in the distance.

"It would be less expected than a cat attacking with claws… Although I'd still have to be in close proximity for combat." I sighed, starting to get a little agitated that the light still hadn't turned green.

"Either way, your best capabilities come with hand to hand combat." He agreed with me. The light finally turned green but before I could go, some guy decided to cross the street, slowly as he carried his groceries in a bag about to burst. I waited ever so patiently as he passed my car before pulling up and continuing down the street. There seemed to be no other cars out today besides us. But unfortunately, not three blocks later did we hit another red light.

"Just my luck that in the first half hour of me legally driving, I hit almost every red light." I sighed, tapping the wheel as we waited for the light to turn green for the third time in a row. Pulled up behind us was another black SUV, like the one before. Suspicion rose in the back of my mind, but I dismissed it, as nearly all of the cars in Gotham were black or grey.

"It's just one of those days." My father exhaled deeply before looking out the window. The light turned green and we pulled forward.

"I hate these kinds of days, but today is still a pretty good day overall." I smiled, travelling down the street. The black SUV followed behind us at a normal distance, so no alarms went off in my head. But as they sped up behind me, so did I.

"What's that for?" My father looked to me as I drove, soon surpassing the speed limit.

"There's a car following us." I frowned, taking one hand off the steering wheel to gesture back to the SUV speeding up, following closer and closer to the back of the car. Soon, we emerged into the normal daily traffic. We stopped as one last red light, the SUV pulling into the lane next to us, but just sitting there. My father stared at the car, like he thought he could see who was behind the wheel, trying to no avail. But neither of us could make out a driver. The light turned green and I pulled forward. Time seemed to slow down as that SUV stayed where it was. I crossed the fourway intersection and watched as it shrinked in the rearview mirror. Ass we crossed the next fourway intersection, it all happened so fast. A truck with a ram attachment barreled down the cross street and slammed into my side of the car. They hit us so hard that the car flipped down the street and settled upside down.

"Sylvia!" I heard faintly among the ringing in my ears. I unbuckled my seatbelt and crumbles to the glass covered ground. I looked over to my dad as the familiar feeling of glass digging into my skin overwhelmed my senses. My father wasn't in his seat. Panic welled up inside me as I dragged myself through the window, scrambling to get up from the glass covered ground on the outside of the car. My arm and ribs were burning, but none of them were angled or protruding anywhere, which led me to the conclusion that they were fractured. My vision flashed between me coming out of the tank, soaked in water, and me coming out of the car, soaked in sweat and blood. I found my father standing in front of the car, his eyes meeting mine as I stood up. People stopped and climbed out of their cars to see the flipped car. I stumbled, walking to my father. Before I could hug him, a set of bolas wrapped around my feet and arms, knocking me down. I looked and saw Sportsmaster charging us.

"Dad!" I yelled as he charged my father, but instead of attacking him, he ripped me from the ground and held a knife to my neck.

"Let her go." My father commanded, blood dripping down his face from a gash above his eyebrow.

"I don't think so." He backed away with me. "Besides, Mr. Wayne, my employer will double anything you try to pay me." Sportsmaster laughed as I felt a needle puncture my shoulder. My vision began to fade, but I extended my claws and jammed them the best I could into Sportsmaster's legs. He groaned in pain, as I grew weaker. I felt myself being lifted into the air as the assassin grabbed onto a ladder, a helicopter that seemed to come out of nowhere whisked us away. The last thing I saw was my father's face, a look I had never seen plastered upon it. A look of _fear_.

* * *

 **New Orleans**

I opened my eyes and found myself in tight metal cuffs on my hands and feet. As a pounding headache encroached upon my consciousness, I saw the last face I wanted to see not five inches away from my nose. I jerked back and upon my reaction, his laughter ensued. I scooted back into a wall and touched my face, finding that not only was my cowl not shrouding my face, but there was a gag tied over my mouth. Panic began to well up inside me as I looked down, finding myself dressed in a pair of spandex and a sports bra. _No_. The memories forced their way to the surface all at once.

"My plaything is so much more interesting now that she's awake." Klarion smiled, the cat climbing off his shoulder to smell me. _It was happening all over again_. I thought to myself.

"Shall we apply the tech to Savage's prize?" I looked over and found the extra voice belonged to Professor Ivo.

"Non, Savage said that la fille's reactions will assist with the work that he wants completed." I saw the Brain flanked by Monsieur Mallah. Out of nowhere, I heard an explosion.

"Besides. I like my play things to have a bit more fight in them." Klarion smiled as the cat meowed by my shackled feet. I heard familiar voices coming from another room. I even caught the sound of someone saying Aqualad.

"Help!" I tried to scream, but the gag made it near impossible. I reached up and pulled it down the best I could. "Somebody help me!" I shrieked.

"Sit back down and shut up!" Klarion yelled, but I ignored him and kept screaming.

"Please! Help me! Somebody!" I screamed, but Klarion yelled in a fit of rage, zapping me with a red flash of his magic. Pain shot through my body as I convulsed in agony, a harsher scream than before forcing its way out of my throat.

"Stop it, witch boy! It's not helping anyone!" Professor Ivo yelled at him. When the pain subsides, the hyperventilation began. I couldn't stop. My memories were flooding through my mind. For the first time in a long time, I began to cry despite my best efforts. Tears streaked my cheeks as Monsieur Mallah dragged me over to the work station by Ivo, Klarion, and the Brain.

"Help me!" I cried as the door burst open. Through my tears, I saw Kid Flash and Artemis, an arrow nocked in her bow. The looks on their faces as struggled to breath, trying to fight the flashbacks. "Kid!" I cried out, reaching out for him. Klarion started to laugh.

"Well, since they already see her." He shrugged behind me, hitting me with the red energy once again. My back arched as I screamed. I was slipping away.

"No! Stop!" Kid yelled, the anger bleeding from his voice into the atmosphere of the room. I could feel his rage as I convulsed on the floor, screaming and crying.

"Freeze!" Artemis yelled, aiming her arrow upon the villains.

"Don't be absurd! With what we've created tonight, I could-" Professor Ivo was threatening, but Klarion raised his hand. The magic acting upon me ceased and I was too weak to move. There was no hyperventilation, no crying, just my limp body strewn across the floor.

"Why waste such power on her?" He questions the others. "Do what she says!" I saw Kid sprint towards me, but it was too late. "Freeze!" Klarion yelled and I suddenly felt chilled. The warehouse and heroes disappeared, and I was lying on the ground, staring up at a face I knew was inevitable.

"Finally, the prodigal monster returns." Vandal Savage's deep voice resonated with me. "And what a beautiful monster she is." He knelt down next to me and stroked my cheek. I remained motionless and expressionless as I layed there, but I was screaming on the inside. My skin burned where he touched it. Savage reached for my hands and removed the cuffs, the proceeded to do the same with the chains on my ankles. "Those aren't necessary here." He scooped me up and carried me out of the room.

"Why?" I managed to get out in a whisper. I wanted to attack him and scream at him, but I was barely holding on to consciousness, to my sanity. He simply chuckled as he set me down in a bedroom. I looked over and saw him open a closet door, revealing an array of clothing that all looked about my size.

"Don't worry my child, all with be revealed soon. But first, you must rest. Someone will come in and tend to your wounds from the car accident. I do apologize, but it was a necessary evil." He spoke before turning to leave. I heard him say one last thing as I slipped away. "Soon, you will see the _Light_."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you guys liked the chapter! As I've asked before, PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	25. Foggy Christmas

**A/N:**

 **tysongirl123: You can actually still watch netflix on / in the cartoon section. It's in alphabetical order, so young justice will be at the bottom of the second column. It has every episode of season 1 and 2!**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Unknown Location**

 **December 25, 2010**

I awoke in a dimly lit room, the only source of light was coming from a warm fire across from my bed. I was confused for a moment, like there was somewhere I needed to be, but the thought was pushed out of my mind. The fog in my head slowly settled as I climbed out of bed. The all white room was pristines, just like I had to be as my routine began as I stepped into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and smoothed my hair back into a high ponytail. _Just how he likes it_. I thought to myself, a smile growing on my face. _He likes it when my hair is out of my face_. I stepped out of the bathroom and into the closet, finding the dress I was instructed to wear for today. _He likes it when I wear what he wants_. I started singing to myself as I pulled on the tight, white dress with a pair of spandex underneath.

"Like an unsung melody, the truth is waiting there for you to find it. It's not a blight, but a remedy, a clear reminder of how it began." I sang, zipping up the white dress. It was bright white, skin tight and sleeveless with rectangular cutouts on the sides over my ribs. The hem stopped just before my fingertips. I bent down in the closest and looked for the specified shoes.

"Deep inside your memory, turned away as you struggled to find it. You heard the call as you walked away, a voice of calm from within the silence." I sang, retrieving the shiny white flats from a shelf in the closet. I slipped them onto my feet and proceeded to put on the pale pink lipstick that was sitting on the stark white vanity.

"And for what seemed an eternity, you wait and hoping it would call out again. You heard the shadow beckoning. Then your fears seemed to keep you blinded. You held your guard as you walked away." I continued to sing as I rubbed my lips together, evening out the color. I reached down into a drawer and put on a few swipes of mascara, layering it to make the lashes look thick. _He'll love how pretty you look_.

"When you think all is forsaken, listen to me now. You need never feel broken again." My voice began to echo as I got a little louder, the sound of my singing bouncing around the room. I made sure my hair was flawless with no bumps or anything atop my head or on the back and made sure my face was clean and neatly done before walking up to my bedroom door.

"Sometimes darkness can show you the _light_." I finished the song before opening my bedroom door. I stepped out and stood on the red, pressurized mat. Quickly, a physician appeared and took my vitals and checked the dilation of my eyes. It was the usual drill and once everything was recorded, he let me go. I found my way into the boardroom. I pressed the call button on the door and waited to be allowed inside. The second the automatic metal doors slid open, I stepped in and found Vandal Savage at the head of the table. He smiled and scooted out his chair. I seemed to be stepping in during Lex Luthor's presentation for the Bialyan Military's technological advancements sponsored by an anonymous subsidiary. I gracefully and silently walked over to Vandal and sat down on his lap. The other members just looked at me like this was out of the ordinary. _He likes physical attachment. He loves it when I'm in physical contact._ Queen Bee narrowed her eyes at me as I lightly traces my fingers along the exposed veins on Vandal's arm. The meeting continued as I sat on his lap. It only lasted for a few more minutes before it was disbanded. Once everyone had finished what they had to say, I stood up and Vandal got up as well, passing in front of me. He led me to the living room of the compound and what I found sparked excitement. We entered the room to the vision of a christmas tree lit in colorful lights with all sorts of ornaments. It was all unorganized, but somehow uniform in the randomness of the ornaments. Underneath the tree was an abundance of presents.

"Merry Christmas, my princess." He told me as I approached the tree. But I hesitated. "Is there something wrong?" He asked me as I stared at the tree.

"No, everything is fine." I smiled at him before sitting upon the sofa. He bent down to hand me a present, as I slipped away.

 _There was a Christmas tree in the middle of a house, the details a bit clouded and hard to remember. There was an elderly man and one that looked slightly younger than Vandal handing presents to me and a boy a year or two younger than me. I could feel the attachment to them but I couldn't put names to any of the faces._

Vandal set the a present down in front of me, letting me open one after another. There was jewelry and clothing, even a few more shades of lipstick that were to his liking. I thanked him mindlessly after each and every one of them. I smiled as he pulled out the necklace with the largest diamonds and most intricate metalwork and put it on me. His hand stroked my cheek as he looked at me with the gaudy piece of jewelry on my neck. Vandal snapped his fingers and a group of servants cleared away all of the wrapping presents and set down our breakfast. His plate had an assortment of meats and sources of protein, as I was given a cinnamon roll and an assortment of fruits. We sat there, eating as I hummed my song. There was a brief moment where Klarion stepped into the doorway.

"I'll be right back, princess." He gave me a kiss on the top of the head before walking away. My body froze for a moment in my chair, my knuckles white as I gripped the fork and knife in my hands. In my head, there was a moment where the blissful fog relented for a moment

 _I slowly opened my eyes, remembering where I was as I felt my nose pressing against his chest. One of his hands was lightly tracing lines on my back, but when he ran over my spine, I knew he was tracing the fading scars. I didn't want to move yet, just enjoying myself for the time being, knowing I wouldn't be this happy when I left._ The shock of red hair tried to ingrain itself in my mind as I tried to hold onto it, but it disappeared as the aggravated fog took hold and ripped him away from me, replacing the source of my happy feeling with something else. I felt confused as I looked down at my plate, remembering I was supposed to be eating breakfast. I continued to eat as I waited for Vandal to return. I was chewing my last bite of fruit when he returned with Klarion.

"How is our little pet?" The witch boy asked, running his hand over my smooth ponytail. As the faint glow in his palm touched my ponytail, the thick black hair began to curl into perfect ringlets, waterfalling from my hair tie.

"I'm great, thank you for asking." I smiled, feeling the perfect curls with my hand. He always seemed to amaze me with his little magic tricks.

"Are you ready for Thursday?" He got this sly look as he referred to the plan. I nodded with an even bigger smile.

"I'm very excited. Ra's has been very instructive ." I grinned, the need to please them suddenly growing stronger, along with the fog in my head. A headache began developing, and I exhaled deeply, rubbing my temple.

"Headache, my dear?" Vandal asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. His touch only infuriated the pain in my head. My vision flashed back and forth to a tank of water. For some reason, panic welled up in my chest, but I forced it back down and put on a smile. _Eager to please_.

"I'm fine." I lied, not wanting to bother them, but Savage snapped his fingers and a soldier returned with a box. Once opened, he pulled out a syringe.

"I do believe it's time for your daily dosage. We missed the timing by an hour." He said softly, looking over at the clock. I took a deep breath and held still and he pulled away the neck of my dress and injected the purple serum into my shoulder. The headache immediately disappeared, but there was a brief moment where the fog disappeared. "All better?"

"All better." I said, something forcing its way to the front of my mind. "The first time we kissed." I whispered, barely audible to even myself.

" _Wally." I caught his attention. He turned around, no longer flushed. The two of us just stood there for a moment as I froze. I suddenly began to step forward involuntarily. Before I knew it, he closed the gap, using his superspeed. Our lips met as he pulled me into him, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he ran a hand through my hair, his other hand pressing me into him. After a few moments, we pulled apart, our eyes meeting._ My head seemed like it was on fire. I wanted so badly to hold on to it, that feeling, but it was being torn away from me, causing so much mental struggle as I sat rigid, trying to keep that shock of hair in my mind, that feeling of his lips upon my own. But it was fading, and I couldn't let that go. _Robin watched the timer count down from ten seconds. We weren't going to make it. Robin ran out, armed to take out the drones, but the time was at five seconds. I grabbed Wally's arm and kissed him, right then and there. Not wanting to die without doing that one last time. I pulled apart from him and the look on his face was serene. I looked past him, seeing Robin disintegrated just after the timer hit zero. The ship lurched, Wally and I embracing each other as the explosion destroyed the ship. I closed my eyes and buried my face in Wally's chest as the heat burned at my flesh, but it was only for a few seconds before everything went black._ His name flooded my mind, a million voices all screaming at once. **His name**.

"Wally." I said outloud, involuntarily. Vandal's hand slammed down on the table and he brought his face inches from mine. I could feel his hot breath on my cheeks as he exhaled angrily. The white scars running across his face were close enough for me to notice the extremely jagged nature in which they pertained.

"What did you just say?" He whispered, his cruel eyes locked on mine. I kept my mouth shut, fighting the urge to obey him. "What did you say!" He barked at me. He stood up and towered over me. "Answer me!" He yelled at me. When I held my ground, he wound his hand back as slapped me across the face. I've felt worse, but it was enough force to knock my tiny frame onto the floor. I was slowly becoming more self aware.

"Vandal! How is she fighting our control?" Klarion shrieked. "That serum was supposed to keep her under! I told you we should have used the biotech!" He kept screaming at Vandal as the massive brute grabbed me by my ponytail and dragged me through the facility as I screamed and shouted at him. I extended my claws and slashed at his legs, but he kept walking.

"Let me go!" I screamed at him, but he just kept moving. I made contact with my claws to his legs and blood was drawn, but he just trudged on, dragging my by my hair as he face remained expressionless.

"Merry Christmas, princess." He said quietly as he dragged me into a lab that looked strangely familiar.


	26. Pushing Daisies

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Central City**

 **December 29, 2010**

Standing in the bathroom, I didn't know what to do. I just stood there as I picked out Klarion and Vandal from the corner of my eye. I was getting goosebumps all over my body as I stood in the chilled restroom in a dress that just barely covered my bottom. It was a tight black dress with one long sleeve shoulder. Intricate golden scales covered the arm and consumed my shoulder, almost like an armor of dragon scales. Klarion approached me, his hands glowing with his chaotic magic. I held still as the sunlight faded from the window and a heavy bass shook through the walls from the club just beyond the door. I took a step away from Klarion, my golden stilettos scraping the ground. But he just smiled.

"Come on, Kitty Cat, let me work my magic." He pouted, his familiar purring on his shoulder. The cold made my feel the sewed up incisions behind my ears and at the nape of my neck. They burned in the cold.

"Your _dark_ magic?" I asked the rhetorical question, my body shuddering as the boy's ice cold hands grazed the nape of my neck as he brushed my hair over my shoulder.

"Hush, child. Let him prepare you." Vandal ordered, his gruff voice shaking me to my core. I couldn't not listen. _I must obey_. The thought was strong, even stronger when I try to remember things from before the compound.

"Yes." I obeyed, letting out a deep exhale, trying to fight the strain of wanting to deify their hold on me.

"Yes, what?" Savage raised a scarred eyebrow.

"Yes, _Master_." I corrected myself as Savage and Klarion shared a look of triumph. I sighed and held still as Klarion's hands ran over my black hair. The side of my head was soon in little tiny and thin cornrows to mimic the side of my head being shaved. The more my hair slipped through his fingertips, the more volume it gained, the magic forcing it into large and perfect ringlets that ran the length of my back.

"Now, that's better. Don't you think, Kitten?" Klarion brushed his hand across my cheek, suddenly contouring my skin with foundation and rouge. I looked up into the mirror and my green eyes were pale and frightening, surrounded by heavy black eye makeup. I remembered something suddenly. The shock of my eyes seemed wrong. Like they weren't supposed to be light and faint shade, but an emerald color. They should be like gems, sitting in the center of my scleras. But what bothered me more was how thin my skin felt. The way I could feel my bones moving beneath my very own epidermis. But the weight of my insides, that was a different story.

" _Don't you think, Kitten?_ " Klarion repeated himself. I snarled at him but Savage took a step forward. I bit back the inane need to disobey them.

"It's better. Thank you, _master_." I spat at them as they herded me towards the door. Both sets of hands irritated the long incision stitched up on my spine.

"You know what to do, child." Savage began the instructions. "Close off all possible exits and be swift. We don't want any witnesses to the completion of your training." Savage rested his warm hand on my shoulder. "You will not fail, my princess." He felt my hair one last time before pushing me out the door. I saw everyone, happy and dancing. It was almost immediate that a boy came up to me and tried to get me to dance. I felt my claws come out without the boy even noticing.

"So, how old are you?" The guy said loudly, curious as he looked me up and down. The need to obey filled me and I smiled.

"Old enough." I whispered in his ear before pulling back and swiping at his face. My claws raked across his skin, drawing so much blood before I walked away from the sound of people trying to help the the screaming boy.

* * *

The music washed through me as I stood in the center of the club, blood caking the floors. There were flashes in my mind. Boys had tried to hit on me as I went to every small window, to every door. I had locked myself in with them, well, more like they had been locked in there with me. I remember having posed for a few pictures before I had felt my claws come out. One after another, I had killed every last person in there as had been instructed. As they screamed and cried, I killed them all. I had ripped them apart, their families broken with their ravaged deaths. I was halfway done when I saw so many running for the doors and calling the police. But they couldn't get out, as we were all trapped in the aggressive expansion of the lights plot. Even if a few youthful targets had to be covered up by the masses.

"Dying, would be an awfully big adventure." I said to myself as I stood in the blood. I could feel it in my hair, and the streaks of it on my face. It was splattered on my arms and legs. It all felt wrong, but I had to. I had to follow their orders. The blood of over two hundred people flowing upon the glittered floor of the club. I just stood there, in the center as I hear people outside, pounding on the doors.

"Police! Open up!" But there was a moment of silence before the ramming began once again. "C.C.P.D! Open up!" They yelled again. I walked up to the DJ station as they banged on the doors. The sound of fist pounding on metal continued to the back entrance, even the side entrance. I got into the DJ's laptop and turned on the few songs I knew would be perfect for this moment. If I had to battle the cops, it had to be to these few songs. I queued the order of the songs and took a deep breath. The second I hit play, the sound of jazz pushed through the speakers.

"Cause the lord knows I'm a _Voodoo Child_." I said to myself as the heavy bass of Brick + Mortar began to play. The police broke down the door. As they all rushed in I just stood there, covered in splashes and streaks of blood. I could feel their lights reflecting in my eyes despite the strobes doing their work despite everyone dead. I kicked off my heels as they all stared at the scene.

"Freeze! Put your hands in the air!" One ordered, but I ignored him. I was fast, dodging bullets as I ripped apart cop after cop. But one bullet caught me in the side. I froze and felt it. Just a bit of blood came out. _Through and through, no damage to any vital organs. Wrap it up, keep fighting._ I bolted again and ripped a sleeve off of some guy. I tied up my waist like a sash and got back into it. The song ended and the next began.

"Won't you follow me into the _Jungle?_ " I asked as I slit the Captain's throat. The X Ambassadors filled the room as I attacked another officer, but something knocked me back. there was a blue of red and yellow swirling around me.

"Stop right there!" I heard a familiar voice. I obviously didn't listen as I turned and raked my claws through the ring of red and yellow. I felt impact, so I waited to see my results. I liked the blood off my claws as the speedster stopped. He faced me with five perfect slashes going from the right side of his chest across his arm.

"My orders are no witnesses. I'll let you go if you let me finish my job." I purred, pushing my bloody, curly hair out of my eyes. Flash's eyes widened, looking at something past me.

"Kid, go back outside and sweep the perimeter. Keep the cops out." He ordered, but I could hear someone behind me, groaning like they hated being sidelines.

"I thought we were passed this." He grumbled, maybe about to go when I turned around, and he froze. "Sylvia…" I heard him whisper, but it meant nothing to me. I charged him, attacking the _Kid_. I had him pinned to the ground when I froze. His eyes stared into mine in disbelief. I slashed down with my claws to strike his face. But, I stopped just inches from his skin. I tired again, but I couldn't hurt him like that. Tears began to fall from my eyes as I kept trying to hurt him, but as the sobs escaped my lips, I could not. He sat up, and I let him. I couldn't stop crying and sobbing as he did his best to wipe the blood from my face.

"Wally." I whispered, catching his attention as I leaned over to hug him. "I killed all of them." I whispered, holding onto him ever so tightly.

"It's okay, it's not your fault. None of this is your fault." He assured me, stroking my wet hair. I pulled away, wanting nothing more than to kiss him and go home. But before I could, I sucked in a pained breath, jerking upright.

"You did well, kitten. But not well enough!" I heard Klarion shouting as Teekl, his familiar, hissed at me. I let out a cry of pain as I involuntarily scrambled off of the speedster. It was a few moments before my tears were no more, and I was losing everything again.

"Sylvia! You can fight this." The speedster pleaded as I stood there. "Stay with me." He begged. But his name was slipping from my mind. If only it could slip from my mouth so I could hear it once more.

"Come to me, princess. It's time to go home." I heard Savage order, and I obeyed despite the feeling I had whenever I was around him. The large brute of a man put an arm around my shoulder.

"No!" I heard the boy yell as he ran after me. I looked back and saw a blur of both red and yellow coming towards us.

"No no no. Not this time." Klarion smiled, putting a force field around us. The moment the red energy dissipated, I was pulled through the witch boy's portal, and the two speedsters were gone. We were back at the compound.

"Take her to get washed up. She has a busy day ahead of her." Vandal stroked the side of my cheek before a servant took me away to my room. I just stood there, mindlessly as they undressed me, and guided me into the tub of warm water. The second I sat down, the blood mixed with the water. The girl began to hum as she willed apart the blood and the water, controlling it so the blood would go down the sink drain. The water was pure again as she pulled out some soap and a sponge. She scrubbed my skin and washed away the grime and the dried blood from my body. It was like a routine. She willed everything she cleaned off of me from the water and put it down the drain in the sink. She even dipped her hand in the cooling waters and controlled what I assumed were the molecules to heat it up again to an appealing temperature. I laid back as she washed my hair, washing away the blood and grime. She once again willed away what was washed off of me into the drain. She rinsed me off one last time before having me get up and stand on the bath mat. She gave me a towel and let the bath tub drain.

"Put these on and sit in the chair at the vanity so I can finish up." She told me as she handed me a set of pajamas and undergarments. I watched her as she washed and dried off her own hands in the sink. After having put on the pajamas and sat in the chair, I watched her in the mirror as she combed out all of the kinks in my hair. Her own blonde hair was pulled back into a high bun. Her round cheeks bore no trace of any makeup, but her lips wore the prefered color of Vandal. They were a natural pink color, but to me, it was obvious that she was wearing lipstick. Her ocean blue eyes were framed with the same mascara I was supposed to always wear, each and every day. She seemed so familiar as I noticed her humming again.

"What are you humming?" I asked her, and she smiled.

"Just some song. This girl I used to know from being in the same program used to hum it during the group eating sessions. She was humming it every time I saw her, and it stuck." She spoke softly, like that wasn't a good time in her life. "But you know, it gets me through the day. I hear she got out of the program and made something of herself." She finished combing my hair and started to use her ability with water and willing it out of my hair. Drying it a bit, and combing it a bit, over and over. I started humming with her, matching the tune.

"I've always meant to ask. What's your name?" I inquired, looking up at the blonde. She smiled.

"I'm Tori. What's your name?" She smiled and I frowned. Trying to think past the fog

"He calls me princess, but I don't know." I looked up at her, and there was this look on her face. She stopped humming and froze. I carried the tune, staring off into the mirror as she she stood there, staring at me as I sat there, humming the song.


	27. Crash Landing

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Asheville, North Carolina**

 **December 30, 2010**

I was dressed in a pilot's uniform, my black hair pinned back underneath my hat. I was running through the plan in my head. _Wait for Cheshire to board, take off, put the plain in auto pilot, suit up, force plane to crash in autopilot, jump out with Cheshire and wait with Nygma, the Shadows, and Mammoth. The pylons would trap the heroes, and we would take care of them. If Batman shows up, he's my obligation to take down. If all else fails,_ _kill as many as I can_ _before making my escape with Cheshire and Nygma. Mammoth and the shadows are an affordable loss._ I received the notification on my holocomputer that Cheshire had arrived on the premises of the air port. All I had to do was stay in the cockpit while the crew outside ensured that the plane was fueled up and everything checked out.

"I'm here." I heard Jade's voice in my ear on the comm. "Put down the stairs so I can board when I get there." She said with the background chatter of some travelers in the background. It wasn't long before she boarded the plane, allowing me to bring up the stairs, and do one last round of checks before powering the engines. I got permission from the control towers and pulled onto the runway, Cheshire taking a seat I took off. Being at the helm of the plane, it didn't feel long at all before we were approaching the Smoky mountains. I set the plane on autopilot and stepped out of the cockpit.

"Go to the cockpit and take over the flight. I gotta change before we take a dive." I told Jade as I pulled my duffle out from a compartment in the floor before heading into the lavatory at the back of the plane. I didn't necessarily enjoy the new costume, but the members of the Light thought it fitting for my new role as their… _kitten_. When I emerged from the lavatory, I was dressed in a black crop top with jagged cut outs like slashes on my sides and a triangle cut out of the chest, just above the bust. The open areas almost framed my ribs as they stood out against the black. The shorts matched in black and were highwaisted with slashes running across the sides. The short black boots were perfectly formed to my own, allowing for stealth. Around my neck was a silver collar, even including a tag with the name "kitty". There was a utility belt around my waist and knives sheathed and strapped onto my thigh. My claws were already out and my hair was down, waves now formed from the braided bun I had as the pilot. A few strands of the front were pulled back out of my face and my eyes were lined with heavy dark and silver makeup. The final thing I secured in my hair was the black headband with cat ears. I thought it was ridiculous, but Klarion insisted.

"Fun. The cats are going to lead the brats into an ambush." Jade smiled as she saw me. I looked at her in confusion.

"The brats? Don't you mean the Young Justice?" I asked as she raised an eyebrow. I couldn't help but stand confused, waiting for her to explain.

"Oh, right. You've never encountered them as Kitty." She spoke lowly, allowing me to retake my place in the pilot's seat. We were in the optimal range, so I brought down the nose of the plane. As I forces the plane down, I dodged between mountains and forced a crash landing. I activated auto pilot, and Cheshire and I hopped out, parachutes taking us to a higher ground from the crash. The female assassin and I took the case of Biotech and laid down in the snow, waiting for the heroes to engage the crash site. I was already tracking their Bioship from Luthor's satellite. It was a bit before their ship was floating in the air above as they came to investigate the plane crash. It had been long enough that all of the smoke and burning had subsided.

"How come Homeland Security and the NTSP aren't all over this?" The one I recognized as Kid Flash questioned as they all pushed through the rubble to investigate. He seemed awkward and nervous. I made the first move and began to descend the mountain with Cheshire and the case of biotech in tail.

"Cheshire's ID was a League alert. Authorities didn't pick it up and her jet didn't follow its flight plan. Flew under the radar. Literally. But the Watchtower auto tracked the jet and recorded the crash." As the young boy wonder spoke, faced dropped, but Kid Flash's turned sour. He seemed like there was something else he was angry about.

"Then why isn't the League here?" Rocket asked. This was something new, her presence being an unpredicted factor. We knew Icon was joining the Justice League, but not that his sidekick would join the band of misfit toys.

"Because our Boy Wonder has some mighty hacking skills and arranged to get the alert first." Zatanna explained, a sense of flirtation between her and Robin. I noticed Aqualad stand up, my head tilting in curiosity as the Atlantean began to speak.

"And because Cheshire and that case represent our unfinished business." He seemed poised but distracted as the clone threw a piece of the wing in frustration.

"Where are the bodies?" He asked angrily, looking around like they just had to be missing something, and he was right.

"Here's not one, but two." Cheshire stood up, facing them with the biotech case in hand. I stood up with her and got a good look at all of the Young Justice members. "And they are stunning." It started to bother me as the entire Team stared at me in worry and confusion. But that didn't matter once Nigma entered the ring. I heard his voice and looked up to his position.

"I am flora, not fauna. I am foliage, not trees. What am I?" He snapped his fingers and giant pylons emerged from the snow. The activated with green energy, creating the force field to trap everyone inside. The shadows stood up in their polar stealth and Mammoth stepped up behind Nigma. "Come on, you can get this! I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I? I…"

"Am bush." Robin spoke in a low and angry tone. He seemed like one for jokes, as his file says so, but this wasn't one he was particularly enjoying.

"Didn't you think we'd be tipped you were on Cheshire's trail? We're tired of your interference, kiddies. This is the end game. Ordered from above and executed by their master strategist. Moi!" Nigma laughed ready to go. I was the first one to move. I leaped through the air and attacked Robin, knowing that I was best suited to outmatch the child strategist before his girlfriend and the speedster. The fought in silence as I matched every move from the Gotham hero. He'd punch and I'd block. He'd kick high and I'd swing low. I pounced and tackled him to the ground. I smiled as I slashed at him with my claws, managing to rake across his suit and draw for perfect lines of blood.

"Robin!" Zatanna screamed. "Ekahs siht ebolgwons!" She yelled and the snow flew into the air, forcing a blizzard as I attacked the boy.

"Wildcat! Stop! It's us!" He yelled, grabbing my wrists and flipping the scenario, pinning me to the ground. I just stared at him. "You're eyes…" He frowned, looking at the faded irises, the green almost gone, almost a pale turquoise. But I looked past him, seeing the clone flying with Mammoth in hand. Robin looked away, distracted by the revelation. I wrapped my legs around his waist and whipped him off me. I continued my assault as the Clone began to endanger his team, compromising the structural integrity of the mountain. But I didn't stop. I kept attacking.

"Wildcat!" Robin yelled, but I growled at him. Stepping up the battle with more ferocity and anger than before and the need to yell and scream arose in my heart.

"That's not my name! Stop calling me that!" I snarled, punching him in the jaw and throwing him back into the rocks. But he came right back and did his best to pin me again, checking the shining silver tag collar on my collar.

"They're calling you Kitty?" Robin questioned as I fought him. Rocks fell off in the distance as I dodged blow after blow with my slightly enhanced speed. I hissed at him, baring my teeth at him as I punched him in the stomach.

"Stop!" I heard an oddly familiar voice. My skin seemed like it was on fire as I looked over to see the infamous Kid Flash. "Sylvia." He said softly, and for a moment, I involuntarily stepped forward to him, curious about the word. Glancing upon him, I saw a face close to the one I found myself drawing in my sketchbooks. They same amount of freckles, the same red hair, even the same green eyes. Sometimes I drew him with a girl with raven black hair, hiding behind a camera. Her face was always covered, snapping a picture of him, whether he was eating cake or trying to kiss her in the drawings. She was so much smaller than him, just as I am to this boy before me.

"Who's Sylvia?" I asked, inching slowly to his newly outstretched hand. The way his hand reached out was so much like the pictures I drew of the red haired boy with the green eyes. But there was a sharp pain in my back and I went rigid, the ground beneath me opening up into a portal of a red and black swirling abyss. I fell in, it closing behind me and the Kid Flash sped over to try and catch me. I floated in a void for a moment before reappearing back in the lab with Klarion and a scientist.

"Time for your next treatment." Klarion smiled and I nodded quietly, slowly undressing down to my under garments and putting on a cotton gown without tying the back. I laid face down on the table and waited. I felt the cold hands of the scientist as he pulled back my hair from my neck and injected a syringe in the nape. I winced at the feeling, but I knew it was nothing compared to what would come next. My level of patience was barely tested before I felt the thicker needles piercing my skin all along my spine. After all the injections were over, I was allowed to rest. As I slowly lost consciousness, Savage entered the room.

"How did your mission go?" He asked softly, stroking my hair as I smiled.

"It wasn't as good as I expected. Klarion pulled me out before I could do any real damage." I sighed, yawing as the exhaustion pulled in my mind.

"That's alright, I instructed him to do so. It was all part of the plan." He continued to whisper to me, running his fingers through my hair as he encouraged my sleep. But something pulled at my mind. "What's wrong, my princess?" He questioned, still gently stroking my hair.

"One of them said a name before I was recalled." I looked up at his scarred face, his look one more gentle than his usual. "Who's Sylvia?" I asked, expecting him to get angry by me asking a question. But the exact opposite happened.

"Sylvia Wayne is a beautiful young woman who bad things happened to, but now she's being taken care of, the wrongs being corrected with rights." He crooned, giving me a rare smile before my eyes drifted closed, his hands leaving my hair, stroking my cheek only once. "Sleep well, princess. You'll need all the sleep you can get, tomorrow will be your very special day."


	28. Auld Acquaintances

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Unknown Location**

 **December 31st, 2010**

I awoke in my bed, not even curious about how I got there. My back was sore as I sat up, swinging my legs over the side. The moment my toes touched the thick, lush carpet, the door opened, Tori walking in. Her blonde hair was down this time, her large waves just barely grazing the middle of her back. Today, she seemed whimsical with a white sweater, a cotton tank top and white skinny jeans. The white slip ons on her feet made little _floof_ noises as the stepped on the carpet. She handed me two little pills and a glass of water.

"Good Morning." Tori smiled, taking the glass from me after I chased my pills with some water. The pain subsided as I stood up, following Tori to the vanity. I sat down as she began to brush my raven black hair that reached my tail bone.

"Can you believe it? We're going to see the stars today." I smiled, looking at her through the mirror as she pulled out a curling iron and let it heat up. Tori didn't smile with me as she watched the styling device heat up. "Aren't you excited?" I asked her. She just shook her head as she put up most of my hair, leaving the bottom layer down to start curling.

"It's your special day, not mine. Just relax and try not to move so I don't burn you." She finally smiled. It wasn't long before she began humming her usual tune. I managed to go ten minutes of curling and hair spraying before I began to hum with her. I carried the tune of the song with her for a while before she finished putting large ringlets in my hair. Tori swiveled the chair around and began doing my makeup. By the time she was finished, my fading green eyes were lined with black eyeliner and Vandal's prefered color of lipstick coating my lips.

"Thank you." I told her before I started to unbutton my pajama top. After ditching the pajama pants too, I grabbed the garment bag hanging on my closet door and unzipped it, pulling the special dress out.

"Oh, wow." Tori commented as I pulled on the pale blue grecian dress. It grazed the floor and billowed with even the slightest of movement. It was fitted to my waist with four half inch thick bands of silver, each around an inch or two apart. One thing that bothered me was how there were two slits running up either side of the dress. If I stood to one side, you could see all the way up my hip. But, I had a bit of consolation, as there were silver spanks underneath.

"I feel like it's a little much." I frowned, trying to breath despite the silver bands.

"Well, it explains this." She pulled out a box with a bow on it. When she removed the lid, I saw the silver circlet. It was odd, but Tori placed the silver laurel in my hair and held my hands out in front of me.

"This dress is really tight." I started laughing, trying to take a deep breath but the bands wouldn't let me.

"It would be tighter if you actually ate as much as a normal person." She reminded me of my lack of body weight. I sighed.

"You know the side effects make it hard for me to eat." I told her, turning around and making my way to the door.

"You're forgetting something." She called, holding up a pair of knee high, silver gladiator sandals. I went back to her and hiked up the dress, stepping into the shoes and allowing her to zip up the back before going back to the door, and waiting for it to unlock. "Bye, Sylvia." She said, but I frowned.

"And there's that name again."

* * *

 **Watchtower**

I stepped through the golden light and saw the millions upon billions of stars just outside the massive windows. I took in a sharp breath of disbelief as I walked right to the window, standing beneath Klarion at his control station. It was a slow movement, as my hand reached up to touch the glass. I was hesitant as I looked at Earth, but I moved out my hand and welcomed the cool touch of the acrylic window as I spread out my fingers. My palm pressed against the glass as I was overwhelmed with shock and excitement. But all of that disappeared as a large hand rested upon my shoulder. I looked up as saw Vandal looking out the window.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He spoke in his rugged and deep voice as I looked back to the window. But his hand moved to take mine, twirling me around like he needed to get a better look at me. "Finally, everyone can see what you truly are, our feline goddess." I smiled at him, allowing my eyes to change, the pupils turning to slits and the irises expanding. Usually this little trick amused him but he just took my other hand and started dancing with me. He twirled me about the room and when he dipped me, the computer interface spoke.

 **Recognized:** _ **Black Canary 13, Red Tornado 16, Red Arrow 21.**_

"Any problems?" Vandal asked in a gruff voice, resting his hand on my lower back for a moment before putting both hands behind his back. His posture mimicked that of a general at war, but that was exactly what he was. At war with stunted evolution. I watched calmly as the Black Canary stepped forward. I looked over to the clone, and his eyes seemed wide, confused at my presence. I walked forward, extending my claws behind my back as I inspected the red headed male.

"Despite an initial setback, I was able to reinfect Red Tornado and Red Arrow." The blonde reported as the android, Red Tornado, also stepped forward. Something seemed off about them. Something wrong, but oddly familiar.

"As well as the entire Team. They await reprogramming, back, on Earth." The android spoke coldly, but I looked to Vandal, and he knew exactly what was wrong with this report.

"I think not." Vandal replied simply, snapping his fingers. I was leaning forward, getting a better look at the Archer's face. As my master beckoned, I answered the call and retreated back to his side. His hand rested upon my shoulder. "You see, Starro-Tech does not reprogram the mind, it offers us remote control of it."

"We know exactly who's infected and who's not. And none of you are!" Klarion snapped at the three heroes. The Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, flew down and ensnared them in green energy.

"But that is easily rectified." Vandal gently grabbed my hand and put three Starro-Tech chips in my palm. I approached the Black Canary first. "Fifty thousand years of life, and nothing ever troubled me as much as the founding of the Justice League, dedicated to maintaining society's calcified status quo. The League would protect mankind from disaster, crime, tragedy of any kind." I moved onto Red Tornado as Savage made his speech. "Had you never heard of _the survival of the fittest?_ In essence, you heroes sought to protect humanity from its own glorious evolution. As such, you forced my more enlightened colleagues and myself, to organize a response. We created or co-opted networks of operatives, placed key-individuals in key-positions, made certain we were on the cutting edge of all new technologies, genetic engineering, biochemical engineering, robotics, nano-robotics, even techno-sorcery." One by one, they all relaxed, no longer needing restraints. "Not to mention every conceivable method of mind-control. Cold-hard science, a little misdirection, and now you, champions of stagnation, have become our agents of change, forcing the human race to evolve on a more advanced schedule, allowing the Earth to take its rightful place, at the center of the Cosmos." Savage finished and I returned to his side once again, waiting for him to give me more orders. But it would be more likely that he would start dancing with me.

"The brats are aboard!" Klarion declared in his childish voice. The cat hissing from his shoulder. "They've taken away four of my toys!" He wined, trying to mobilize the other Leaguers that were already on board the satellite.

"Recall all League away missions. It's time to put these children in their place, once and for all." Vandal ordered, his face being overrun with anger.

"Finally!" Klarion exclaimed in his chaotic excitement.

"Shall I intervene as well?" I asked Vandal, but he shook his scarred head.

"No child. Remain here until I say so." He tilted my chin up and stroked my cheek.

"Oh, yeah. Hey, Vandal, shouldn't those three be back online by now?" Klarion was confused, double and triple checking the readings.

"What?" Vandal became infuriated. There was a tingle on the back of my neck and I shoved the dense mass that is Vandal Savage out of the way as the Canary released a cry, blasting my back and slamming my body into the back window. Red Tornado began wreaking havoc with the crimson twisters all over the room. I just looked up and saw Klarion put on noise cancelling headphones. I couldn't hear what he said among Canary's screeching. I felt Red Arrow put something on the back of my neck. To his surprise, I attacked him. There was a golden boom somewhere in the room, six of the Leaguers coming through. the resurgence was quickly quelled as the six heavy hitters brought them to their knees. I quickly returned to Vandal's side.

"The children have clearly reverse-engineered a Starro-Tech cure and vaccine. So there's no point in taking them alive." I heard Vandal say as I gazed upon the unconscious bodies.

"Goodie." Klarion smiled, rubbing his hands together and getting back to work, pulling the strings on the other puppets. I watched with Vandal on a monitor as the Young Justice attacked and defeated the Leaguers, one by one.

"Time to go." Vandal ordered, gripping my arm in his massive hand.

"Come on, we can take 'em!" Klarion pleaded, coming down from where he was hovering.

"Yes. But in the process, you'd lose control. Perhaps even destroy this station and whether or not they're in our thrall, The Light still needs the Justice League alive, for Phase Two." Vandal told him in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I wouldn't lose control…" Teekle meowed at him. "Okay, yeah, I'd bring the chaos." Klarion glared over at the door and saw the young heroes.

"Sylvia!" I heard someone scream. They're voice was welcoming. I looked over and saw the Kid Flash in stealth mode. I was so curious about him.

"Time, to go Princess." Vandal beckoned for me to come through Klarion's portal. I was frozen, trying to fight burning desire to follow orders. It hurt so much and I didn't understand why I couldn't just give into Vandal.

"Come! Now!" He barked, but Kid Flash took off for me. I felt a tug on my arm, yanking me towards Vandal.

"Etapassid dna etacol ehte latrop!" The female magician yelled, Klarion's portal ceasing and reappearing further away.

"This is a waste of time!" Klarion screeched beginning to attack Kid and me.

"I order you to stop!" Vandal bellowed as he retreated to the portal. But it was too late. I looked down and saw the blood seeping through my dress. There were golden daggers wedged between my ribs in different places on my chest and back. I zoned out of the whole situation. Mindlessly, I walked to Vandal, staggering as the blood loss increased. Klarion was holding off the Young Justice as I walked to my puppet master. "Time to go, _witch boy_." He ordered. The entity of chaos ceased. Kid Flash was already by my side. Vandal just looked at me before disappearing through the portal. I was so cold as the daggers evaporated into thin air, and I collapsed.

"Sylvia." I heard the familiar voice as Kid Flash removed his cowl.

"Wally." I reached up to touch his face as I began to remember him. But all I did was smear some blood across his cheek as I went limp.

"Rob! I need you to help me!" He screamed, trying to apply pressure, but there were too many wounds. Everything faded to black.

"Please, stay."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the cliffhanger… but please** _ **review**_ **! I could really use your feedback if you're enjoying the story and such.**


	29. Memento Mori

**Author's Note:**

 **Guest- The light members have actually referred to them as young justice. So just in case you didn't catch that early on in season one :)**

 **Tysongirl123- so far I am continuing it! I think I might go through season 2 :)**

* * *

 **Wally West "Kid Flash"**

 **Gotham General Hospital**

 **January 1st, 2011**

"Please, stay."

It was all a blur. Sure, when I'm running with Barry, the blur is exhilarating and easier to understand, easy to pick out details. Blurs always brought excitement, adrenaline, even satisfaction. Blurs usually meant I was being a hero, more often than not it meant I was on a mission, pushing myself not to be seen. This kind of blur, everything was running together, but I still remembered every little detail, like a movie I couldn't pause or stop to think. I remembered the police radio, numerous 911 calls coming from the same nightclub, then the reports of police being attacked by a lone assailant. A female assailant. But I saw her, small and weak looking, but the savage hiding behind her eyes had taken over. I couldn't get the image of her, covered in blood, out of my head. But then I saw her at the plane crash, fighting alongside Cheshire. She nearly killed her own brother and didn't even care. She didn't even know her own name. The only thing that had me holding on, was that she hesitated. She hesitated then, and she hesitated when Vandal Savage had ordered her to leave with him, and she hesitated. But that's what's killing me… killing her. I remember getting bandages and wrapping her up as tightly as possible, ripping the bottom of her dress and using it to make it more absorbent. Flash woke up from the effects of the Cure-Tech and ran with me to take her cold and limp body to Gotham. If she had a chance in any hospital, it would be on her home turf. As bad as Gotham was, they were always prepared for victims of violence, whether it be gunshot wounds, or stabbings, bombings, fires, you name it.

The doctors pushed me out of the emergency room, Flash holding me back as they irrigated her wounds and started replacing her blood volume before taking her to surgery. I watched through the window as her lips slowly turned blue, despite how fast they were moving. The efforts of compressions were feeble as her heart slowly began to give out, but they kept going. I begged and pleaded for Barry to go in there and help her, but he wasn't the medical professional when it came to a living body, and his precision would help, but he wouldn't know what he was doing. I just watched, helplessly as she flatlined. It happened three times before they could keep her going long enough to get her into surgery. I sat there, on the floor of that hallway, just outside that emergency room. My head fell into my hands as I hugged my knees, like it would give me some sort of closure. But all I wanted was to hold her.

After an hour, Barry had returned in civilian clothing and suggested I zeta-ed home to do the same, but I refused. He had thought of that ahead of time and handed me a bag of my own clothing. I made sure no one would be able to tell I was kid, using my super speed to change at a convenience store down the street before returning. I sat with Barry in the waiting area, staring blankly at the wall. She had been gone for twenty five days and seventeen hours, and none of her family was here yet. But, before I could even ask Barry about it, Alfred showed up, his face was worried and expectant all at the same time. After another hour, Dick and Bruce showed up in civilian clothing. When I couldn't take being around shadows one and two, I stood up and went to the front desk.

"How can I help you?" The nurse at the desk asked as she tucked the receiver of the phone under her chin to keep the talking off the phone.

"I need an update on a patient that was taken in just after midnight. Sylvia Wayne." I told her as I tapped the counter top impatiently. She did a bit of clicking and scrolling on her computer and got back to me.

"You're in luck, they are wheeling her out of surgery right now. A doctor will be here shortly to talk to you and the family." She smiled, optimistic since Sylvia even survived the surgery. The nurse pointed over to the hallway to his right and on queue, two surgeons in attending scrubs walked out. One man, one woman, both tired from the long procedure. I rested a shaking hand on Dick's shoulder as he looked up at the surgeons with bloodshot eyes.

"How is she?" Bruce asked, standing up from his chair. He had a look on his face a father should never have. He was having the guilt of being controlled by savage, the pain of having a missing child, and the disparity of getting her back, but only when she's on the brink of death. Seems to be a common theme of state his kids tend to be in when he get's them back from kidnappings.

"Sylvia is currently stable, but she has gone through extensive damage to her lungs, heart, and diaphragm. We currently have her on a ventilator, so to help her heal, the machine will breath for her. She lost a lot of blood, so we're giving her one last blood transfusion to replace what she lost during the surgery. All things aside, _if_ everything goes as planned, she'll wake up within the next twenty four hours." They finished and I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. "She's in room 423-" I didn't need to know anything else. I left them immediately to find her.

"Wally!" I heard Dick call after me and for once, I purposefully ignored my best friend to go see his sister. It wasn't long before I found her private room on the fourth floor. It was nice, overlooking the bay. I looked to the bed and there she was, completely serene. The blanket was only pulled up to her waist, her entire torso wrapped in bandages and gauze with a thin outer layer of a hospital gown. I didn't know what to do besides grab one of the chairs from the wall and pulling it close to her bed. I just sat there, holding her hand. The longer I sat with her, the more I noticed the steady beeping of the monitor and the forced rise and fall of her chest. I kept thinking of her smile, but that was always pushed out of my head as I looked at the tube going down her throat. I even noticed how thin she was. Her arms were bony and her cheekbones had never been more prominent than they were right now. I could see the aggressive protrusion coming from her hips, even from underneath the blanket. I sat there for hours on end with Dick, Bruce, and Alfred. The only times I let go of her dainty, bony hand was to eat. Alfred kept bringing me fast food and different variations for smoothies, milkshakes and protein bars. I remember fighting to stay awake, only to drift off, my head resting on the bed and her hand loose in mine.

" _Dude, I've just heard. You saved an entire country! Major kudos!" Robin congratulated me as Sylvia leaned in the door frame. I looked past Rob, noticing for the first time today how beautiful she looked. I had been so engrossed in everyone else, my birthday, that I hadn't really paid attention to how she looked._

" _What can I say? I'm the man." I smirked, putting my hands on my hips, like Superman always does when posing. I was so much happier than I was earlier. Sure, my birthday was great, but seeing that little girl's smile was the cherry on top of a perfect birthday. Sylvia lifted up my camera and took a picture. I gave her a smile and walked over._

" _I'll give the birthday boy some privacy." Robin laughed, leaving Sylvia and I alone. I gently took the camera from her hands and lightly set it on the floor. I rested my hands on her lower back, pulling her small frame into me._

" _Happy Birthday, Wally." She whispered in my ear as she stood on her tip toes. But even then, she was pulling my down slightly to do so. I kissed her neck softly, working my way up to her lips. My hands slid up her back, feeling her soft sweater on her slight curves, and in that moment, I stopped kissing her. I just held her in my arms and took a breath. She giggled softly, the chiming sound muffled by my shirt. When I finally let go, she bent down and grabbed the camera, putting the neck strap over my head and letting it hang._

" _I think there's still cake left." I told her, and she slipped her hand into mine._

" _I don't know, you were a fiend with it the moment you blew out the candles." She joked, skipping a little in her stride. "You know, if we go back to the manor, we could make some waffles…" She looked up at me as we walked. Almost automatically, we grabbed our coats and made it to the zeta tube._

 _Most of what I remembered after that were flashes of mixing batter, eating waffles, chasing each other with the whipped cream, and something happened along the way that lead us to her room. We weren't doing anything wrong, and we even left the door open, Alfred even checked on us. The two of us may have just been laying on her giant bean bag, listening to music, but I was perfectly relaxed. I was all sprawled out, and she was curled up in a ball, her sleepy head resting on my chest. I never wanted to move again, not even caring if I died in that moment. I would have her in my arms, and that would make everything okay. I was at peace. But of course, it ended when I got a text from my mother saying that it was time to come home._

" _Hey, Sylvie," I called her by the nickname, shaking her shoulder, "I gotta head home." She looked up at me, bleary eyed._

" _I'll walk you to the zeta-tube." She sighed, getting up off the bean bag and grabbing my hand. She took my hand and walked me back down stairs to the kitchen where I left my coat and camera. But before I could put on my coat, she got this look in her eye, pushing me against the wall. Her lips crushed upon mine, triggering a fast reaction of my grabbing her thighs, hoisting her up, and setting her on the counter so her small frame was level with mine. My hands ran through her obscenely soft hair as she pulled on my waist, bringing us closer and closer. We went on like that for a few moments, but it slowed down, becoming more delicate and careful._

" _I love you." I told her in between breaths. She froze, pulling away from me. Her emerald green eyes met my forrest colored, and her face seemed excited and happy at the same time._

" _Wally…" She looked down and my heart dropped. She let out a little giggle and kissed me again for a moment. "I love you too."_

I woke up to a brushing feeling in the palm of my hand. I looked outside the window, noticing that it was nighttime once again. But when I looked over to Sylvia, she stared at me, weakly with tired eyes. It was painful to look at her, the state she was in. She was so thin, and her eyes had all but lost their vibrancy. The green was no longer emerald, but a very pale grey, lifeless and milky. Her hair wasn't shiny like it used to be, but dull and coarse. She blinked at me, and I couldn't help but smile as she reached up with a shaking hand, and rested it on my cheek.

"Alfred," I looked over to him, "I think you should find a nurse, she's awake." I looked over and he had just woken up from a nap of his own.

"Oh, thank heavens." Alfred got out of his chair, woke up Bruce and Dick, and proceeded to find a nurse. I looked back at her and her eyes were staring about the room. I turned around and put two and two together. She had her eyes locked with Bruce. It was almost like they were having a telepathic conversation with eye blinks, eyebrow raised and cheek wiggles. But, Sylvia looked back at me, her eyes watering. The moment the tears fell from her lifeless eyes, she grabbed my arm and extended only one of her claws, lightly tracing something on my arm. I looked down at my skin and saw the white number before it faded. _358._ I looked at her, confused.

"Three hundred and fifty eight?" I asked her, and she lifted her small hand, shaking her fist like she was trying to say no. This time, she air drew the numbers in the air. "Five hundred and sixty eight?" I ask and she blinked, tears falling from her eyes. I held her hand again, but in that moment, the heart rate monitor when crazy. She just stared at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused. I froze, watching as the doctors came in and began compressions. They were calling code blue. For ten minutes that felt like forever, I watched from the door as they brought her back. When the monitor finally sounded normal, her eyes were closed again. I didn't know what to do with myself. But, the doctors came to us and started talking as a nurse wheeled Sylvia out of the room on her bed.

"We're going to take her to get an MRI and CT. There may be more damage to her body than we've seen when she came in. You said she was missing?" The attending asked Bruce.

"She was taken on December fifth. It's very possible that there are other things that were inflicted upon her." Bruce sounded like a robot, not even able to look the doctor's directly in the eyes.

"Well, we'll find out as much as we can. In the meantime, there are some detectives in the waiting room that need to question you about the situation. And I know it'll be hard, but when she's awake and we're sure she's lucid, they'll have to question her as well." The doctors kept talking to us about the situation, but I zoned out.

"Why don't we go take a walk?" Dick said to me, his hand on my shoulder. I nodded and got up with him, leaving the adults to talk about what comes next. I kept thinking about it, those three small words.

" _I love you."_

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_ Hi guys! Sorry to keep leaving cliffhangers, BUT, I hope you all are enjoying the story! Please _Review_! If you guys are enjoying the switching of pov. If you want, you could make requests on points of view you'd like to see.**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	30. Dreaming

**Sylvia Wayne**

 **Gotham General Hospital**

 **January 10, 2011**

 _I was dancing with Wally at the Masquerade, bouncing around and twirling in my stilettos. I kept looking over at Artemis and her date. She had this suspicious look about her, as she barely took her eyes off Wally. I didn't know exactly what to do about it, but I kept dancing with him, feeling the fullness from the burger sliders disappear the more I moved._

" _We haven't danced together like this in so long." He spoke loudly over the music. I simply nodded in response as I felt the euphoria of this moment._

" _I can't believe we haven't just cut loose like this since before the Team. We need to do something like this with them." I shared my idea as I breathed heavily, dancing in close quarters with the red head._

" _I was mainly talking about us but yeah, a group thing could be fun too." He smiled as the song changed. We kept going for quite a few songs, the melodic serenity washing over my mind like a wave. I just had to keep dancing. I never wanted to stop. Wally reached out to twirl me. As I moved, my black skater dress tightened into a white bodycon, the heels becoming white ballet flats. The scene melted away before me, Wally disappearing like ink in water. I exhaled deeply, rubbing my temples._

" _Headache, my dear?" Vandal asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. His touch only infuriated the pain in my head. My vision flashed back and forth to a tank of water. For some reason, panic welled up in my chest, but I forced it back down and put on a smile._ Eager to please.

" _I'm fine." I lied, not wanting to bother them, but Savage snapped his fingers and a soldier returned with a box. Once opened, he pulled out a syringe._

" _I do believe it's time for your daily dosage. We missed the timing by an hour." He said softly, looking over at the clock. I took a deep breath and held still and he pulled away the neck of my dress and injected the purple serum into my shoulder. The headache immediately disappeared, but there was a brief moment where the fog disappeared. "All better?"_

" _All better." I nodded._

" _Good," Savage said as he morphed into Dick. "It's time to wake up, big sister." He smiled, his tone gentle and patient._

" _But I don't need to wake up. I'm not even asleep yet." I replied, but his face just shifted to Alfred._

" _Master Sylvia, I do wish you would wake up. You've been asleep for far too long." He tried to convince me, but I shook my head, angry at his words._

" _I'm not asleep!" I screamed at him, but he shifted into a she. I was staring down my mother as she held my face in her slender hands. Her straight brown hair draped across her back and shoulders as I seethed with rage._

" _But you are, kitten. They all need you to wake up." She seemed so sweet and kind, but it did nothing to quell my rage._

" _Why should I listen to you? You're never around!" I shouted at her._

" _You know that you'll see me very soon. Your father won't be able to stop me from coming home to my daughter." She kissed me on the forehead before shifting into my father. His face was harsh, his posture rigid, but his eyes were soft with dark circles. He was silent and he pulled me in for a gentle hug. Finally, he whispered in my ear._

" _It's time to come back to us. To me. Please." His voice was sad, something I never heard often. The last time his voice sounded like this was the day he came to me in the hospital after I had escaped. I closed my eyes and embraced him._

I could feel the tube down my throat as I laid still, not wanting to move. Someone was holding my left hand and my ears were bothered by the sound of the monitor to my right. My chest was rising and falling awkwardly in sync with the low sound of the ventilator feeding air to my lungs through the painful tube. I could hear quiet talking, but my conscious was too fuzzy to pick out any of the details. But after a few moments, I figured out it was Alfred talking to my Father.

"I know you need to attend to League matters, Master Bruce. But, I really think you should stay. They took her out of the medically induced coma, and you should be here for when she wakes up." Alfred was trying to convince my father to stay.

" _If_ she wakes up, Alfred. They may have put her in the coma, but they said there is always a chance that she could take longer coming out of it, or not come out of it at all based on the damage to her nervous and circulatory systems. If I can't help her, I sure as hell can help the League and Gotham." My father argued. I caught the sound of him getting up from a chair. I couldn't speak because of the tube, so I settled for letting out an annoyed groan.

"Master Bruce…" Alfred was near silent as he whispered. The hand holding mine squeezed gently and I opened my eyes to a blurry ceiling. It took a few moments for my eyes to focus before I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Wally with his fiery red hair sticking out in all directions. I was happy when I saw him, but my memories flooded my mind without warning. I winced as everything was swirling about in my head.

"Nurse!" I heard Dick yell out the door. Within seconds, a woman came in, wearing a pair of light green scrubs. She stuck me with a needle, I assume a sedative.

"Hi, sweetheart." She spoke in a calm, soothing tone. "Let's not make this hurt any more than it has to. I'm going to remove this tube and switch you to a nasal cannula. I'm going to have to ask my friends here to hold you still." She gestured to the two male nurses behind her. "Blink twice if you're ready." She waited expectantly as I hesitated before blinking my eyes twice. The two male nurses came to either side of me, one holding down my shoulders and the other holding my head still. I held still the best I could as she pulled the tube out of my throat. I gasped for air as my esophagus was freed. As my breaths were heavy and labored, she placed the nasal cannula in my nose and set it to hold onto my ears.

"Wha…" I tried to speak, but nothing was coming out properly. There was a raspy tone that struggled to escape my lips. "What… ha…" I kept trying but, the nurse politely shooshed me. I nodded.

"I'm going to get the attending and they'll come and explain everything to you. Just give me a few moments." She smiled before walking out with the other two male nurses. I looked around the room, pain shooting through my spine as I craned my head. But Alfred rushed over to me and put my head straight. Tears escaped my eyes as I tried to hold them back. I may have had a high pain tolerance, but this was something I haven't felt in a long time.

"Master Sylvia, it would be best if you didn't move very much for a bit. You've been through quite a few surgeries since they put you under." He spoke calmly as I saw my father come over to my side in my peripherals. I moved my head despite the pain, just wanting to look at my father. But he put his burly but soft hands on my face and gently craned my head back to looking at the ceiling.

"Please, don't move." He whispered, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead before sitting down in a chair next to my bed. I sighed and started bunching up my blanket beneath my fingers. Before I knew it, the attending walked in with the female nurse from before.

"Hi, Sylvia." He said as he walked over and stepped right in front of Wally. He leaned forward slightly so I could see him better. "My name is Dr. Thompson." He introduces himself as he shined a light in my eyes to check dilation. He quickly rubbed my throat to check the muscles and such after intubation, forcing me to cough involuntarily. "That's a good sign. I want you to try to run through your vowels for me." He ordered, lightly placing his fingers on my throat.

"Ah…" I tried, but it wouldn't come out.

"That's okay. I wasn't expecting much, But we'll try again later." He smiled. "When you came in, you were suffering from multiple stab wounds to the torso. There were major tears to multiple vital organs, as well as your diaphragm. We patched and secured all of your injuries with your first surgery. Upon a second batch of testing, we found damage to your brain and spinal cord. We put you into a medically induced coma for your next three surgeries. In those, the chief of neurosurgery removed manmade masses from your spine in three increments. Some of the fluids coming through your IV should stimulate your spinal fluid to filter out foreign substances that may be left behind from the masses. Your brain damage, though, may improve with time, but for now, there should be some memory loss. But the worst case scenario is that you won't be able to find the right words for things for a few weeks. Best case scenario, anything you can't remember should come back within the next week or two." He finished. I put a thumbs up, not wanting to move my head.

"That's a good sign of motor functions." He smiled before removing the blanket from my thin legs. I reached up and touched my neck. "I'll have Nurse Lydia put a loose neck brace on to keep you still. You'll only need it for three to five days." I looked over to my father as the nurse put the brace on my neck. I flitted my eyes to the door and back to him.

"She would like to know when she'll be able to check out." He asked for me, knowing what I needed from him.

"That all depends on you." Dr. Thompson addressed me. "You should physically be ready to leave in a week and a half. But that also depends on your mental capacity. We want to address the possible deficits before we sign off on you going back to school." He explained. I gave another thumbs up before sighing. "But right now, I'm going to check your reflexes. Standard protocol for spinal surgery." He pulled out a pen and ran the back of it across the bottom of my right foot, then my left foot, each time the corresponding toes wiggling. "Good, Now I'm going to run the pen on different spots on your legs, I want you to give me a thumbs up or down if you can feel the pen." He said before starting. Shins, thumbs up. Calves, thumbs up. Knees, thumbs up. Thighs, thumbs up. I kept holding a thumbs up until he stopped. "That is fantastic. Now that everything is explained and all of your vitals and sensed are checked, I'll have one of my residents check in with you in a couple of hours. Her name is Dr. Chase." He told us before walking out with the nurse. I coughed to clear my throat, looking at my dad.

"I… a-am re-really…" I managed to start before having to cough again, "... ti-tired. I'm re-really tired." I managed to tell him as my eyes grew heavy.

"And that's okay. We'll all be here when you wake up." Wally promised, squeezing my hand in reassurance.

"O-okay." I said before sputtering into a cough. When I finally got control of my breathing and the horrible tickle in my throat, my eyes fell shut. I couldn't hold onto consciousness. All I wanted to do was stay awake, but I was too weak.

" _Who was that?" Selina asked, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. There was this interest twinkling behind her eyes. The sound of the coffee shot around us seemed to disappear as I became engrossed in my first ever outing with my mother._

" _None of your business." I said quickly before taking another bite of my cinnamon roll. She just released a light chuckle._

" _Oh come on, darling. I'm trying to be apart of your life and I can't if you shut me out." She started making this pouty face that was a bit awkward on a grown woman. I just gave in, feeling embarrassed to be associated with that face in public._

" _Fine, it was the boy who is taking me to the homecoming dance tomorrow night." I let it slide as she grinned about that little detail. I couldn't help but smile with her._

" _What's he like?" she questioned, genuinely interested in who I spend my time with._

" _I mean, we're best friends." I sort of just shrugged it off, not necessarily wanting to talk about it to her. She just sat there with her mouth sarcastically agape._

" _I want to know more about this best friend of yours that you think is worth enough to take you to homecoming." She just seemed to into this that it was throwing me off. She was so committed to staying out of my life before and now all she wants to do is be there._

" _Well, he's always running his mouth, kind of like the class clown of our friend group." I began, slightly laughing. "He's a science genius while being super hyper most of the time so it's actually really fun when I hang out with him. There usually isn't a dull moment with him." I looked down at the cinnamon roll, not really knowing how I should be behaving right now, so I just took the last bite._

" _That's adorable, and if you want another cinnamon roll, I'm thinking about getting one myself." She offered politely and I nodded. I couldn't stop thinking about Wally. So much that my mother became him, sitting on the sofa in the cave livingroom._

 _Wally was sitting on the couch, leaning back with his legs outstretched into the space ahead and his arms draped over the back of the couch. I sat, curled up in a ball with my back leaning against Wally, my fingers tracing the lines on his cast as I pulled my knees tighter into my chest. No one dared move, aside from M'gann, whom I assumed was to afraid to stop moving, to leave herself alone with her thoughts. She was the main point of our collective downfall. I understand that she had no control, but her sheer ability to maintain the belief that everything was real made me afraid for what would have happened if J'onn didn't stop her._

 _When Wally returned from his session with Canary, it seemed like he was a bit more at peace, but he was still getting in his own head. When he sat down, I was unexpectedly pulled across his lap, my legs draped across his while my head tucked into the crook of his neck. His arms were tight around me, his fingers interlaced so they'd stay together. It was like the redhead was refusing to let me go. But I didn't mind, as it seemed that the constant physical contact was keeping the dark thoughts in my mind at bay._

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	31. Night Out

**Sylvia Wayne**

 **Gotham Academy**

 **January 24, 2011**

I stared into the dauntless void of high school, barely shivering in my shiny new oxfords. Alfred thought I would feel better if a few things were different when I got back to school. I had all new binders, a new black herschel backpack with red leather straps keeping the pack closed. I looked off at the school as everyone came in from circle drive. I could feel all eyes on me. This was the first time I had set foot at this school in eight weeks. Two of those weeks were winter break, but still. Everyone thinks I got some sort of illness that sent me to the hospital. The day I got out of Gotham General, the paparazzi found my dad, which means they found me. They took photos of how frail and bony I looked. But I've been on a special diet, so ever since they found me, I put back on 30 lbs, some in fat, but most in muscle. Ever since I got home, it was working out and training three times a day, and eating as much food as I could. The higher the protein and iron the better. It was vegetables upon fruit upon steaks and ribs. Alfred cooked without question, seemingly happy to do it, as long as I was home with him while Dick was at school and Dad was at work.

I stood there, the cold barely affecting me as I struggled to bring myself to walk in. My school uniform hung a little loose, as I was not quite back to the weight I was before. A few wisps of my black hair that escaped my french braid blew around my face as I stood there, my winter coat catching a few stray snowflakes here and there. Students passed by me, staring. But I could pick out two sets of eyes staring at me from the rest. Dick and Alfred were behind me, waiting for me to go forward. But Dick walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I faced him and he gave me a brief smile.

"How do I look? Everything look the same?" I asked, worried about my eyes. The drugs Savage had me on had robbed them of their color, but it was coming back. I didn't want anyone to find something different about me.

"You look great, Sylvie. Let's get to class." He walked with me, but it felt more like he was dragging me to an execution. Disdain welled up inside me as I moved through the courtyard and made my way inside to my locker. Dick stopped and waited as I dialed my locker combination, the second I opened my locker and put my coat away, I turned to him.

"Alright, you can go, I have a handle on this." I forced a smile, and he took it as a victory.

"Okay then, I'll see you at lunch." He was quick about hugging me before disappearing off into the see of other students, making his way to the freshmen lockers. I locked my locker and disappeared into the sea as well, finding my way to my first class, avoiding Bette, Artemis, and the girls. It was class after class, not saying a single word. I stopped by to teacher after teacher to drop off all of my made up work from my time out of school. I managed to go the whole day without talking to anyone except Dick. When Alfred had pulled up to come get us, I went straight to him, not stopping to say goodbye to anyone. I had this itch I was dying to scratch, but it was the kind of thing I needed to get away from supervision to do. I was quick to do my homework, train and eat dinner. I made the excuse that I was going to go to bed early tonight. But I chuckled at my blatant lie as I locked the door to my bedroom. I went and pulled out the burner phone that my mother had given me.

"Hello?" Selina answered, some club music in the background. I could feel the itch coming on.

"It's your daughter. I want to do something fun." I told her, walking with the burner to my closet.

"Didn't you just get out of the hospital?" She asked with half hearted concern. I started stripping down, pulling out a pair of leather leggings, a lace white long sleeve crop top and dark red parka.

"Does it sound like I care? I'm fine." I told her as I got dressed. I pulled on a pair of black heeled combat boots.

"Alright, I'm at the club. Just come by and I'll give you the Christmas present I couldn't get to you." I could hear the smile in her voice, excited for me to be the one reaching out.

"Cool, I'll be there in a little less than an hour." I told her as I pulled my hair out of it's braid, the fresh waves cascading down my back. I pulled out my makeup and effortlessly put on smokey eye shadow and dark lipstick. I turned off all the lights in my room and made my way to my window. But before I could open my window, my normal phone started to ring. It was Wally.

"Hey, babe. I'm actually going to bed right now, but is there something you need?" I asked, trying to get rid of him. I needed to do something, but he couldn't know. He would worry about me too much, so I was going to spare his feelings.

"I… uh… I was just checking in." He seemed tired from school. Unless they had a mission, but I wasn't going to ask. I needed to get out of this house and this phone call was standing in my way.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, forcing a yawn to make my story feasible.

"Oh, yeah everything's fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, first day back to school and all." He was so sweet, and I had half a mind to invite him along with me, but seeing him wasn't the point of tonight.

"I'm good and I'm ready to sleep. It's been a long day." I paused for a sleepy effect. "I love you." I told him, waiting for the response.

"I love you, too. I'll see you tomorrow?" He was dragging on. Wally was probably as tired as I was pretending to be.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I said before hanging up. To keep up with gps appearances, I left my phone on my bed before opening up the window and slipping out. I shut it behind me, but not all the way so it wouldn't lock me out. I dropped and rolled into the thin blanket of snow, three stories below as I snuck around the house to the garage. Without making a sound, I grabbed my helmet and motorcycle, pushing it to the end of the driveway, and then a block before starting the engine to avoid getting caught. I sped through the street and down the highway to get to the Narrows. There, I pulled up to Selena's… _Ladies_ … club, and walked in. She was in the back room, hanging around as she reviewed security cameras of her girls working the men attending the brothel.

"Itching for a good night, my darling Sylvia?" She asked, getting up to hug me. She was warm and smelled of some sort of flowery perfume.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." I smiled, starting to pull off my red parka.

"Don't remove that just yet. We're going outside." She grinned perversely, tossing me a small silver object. Upon further inspection, I found that it was a car key with the logo for Bugatti on it. With hesitation, I followed her to a hidden garage where she pulled the sheet concealing the car. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"This is a Bugatti Veyron 16. 4 Super Sport… in black with chromatic silver accents no less." I was in aw. "Did you steal this for my Christmas present?" I asked in suspicion, but I almost didn't care. My mother just laughed.

"I didn't steal it. I bought it with my own money." She seemed to take pride in that statement.

"So the blood money from the Calabrese Crime family." I assumed and she smirked.

"It's your money also. You are the last of the Calabrese line. No one else can take that from you. When the time comes, the business is yours, if you want it." She told me, but I just ignored it, unlocking the car and opening the door, it sliding up instead of out. The interior had red leather seats and wheel with black paneling.

"All I know right now, is that it's time for a joy ride." I grinned like a child, climbing in. She opened the passenger door and climbed in next to me. I pressed a button and both doors closed automatically. I started the engine, and the immediate purr was electrifying.

"Let's put it to the test. There's a street race in half an hour across town. I've got money for the pot, and there's not doubt that you'll win. None of the contending cars will have a chance, but you're abilities will give you even more of an edge against them." She proposed the plan and I smiled, finally finding something that might cure my inane desire for something… _interesting_. I might finally find something to scratch my itch. I slowly pulled out of the garage, driving like a normal human being to get to the race. It took everything I had not to slam down on the gas. One turn after another, light after light, we made it to the massive crowd of people surrounding three other cars. I waited as Selina stepped out of the car and set up the entry. The tinted windows hid my identity from the other drivers, which helped, but we couldn't risk me getting out of the car, well, I wasn't _supposed to risk it_. But I didn't have a care in the world.

"All set up?" I asked as she got back in the car.

"We are a go. Just pull up in line with the other drivers, crack the windows a bit so you can hear the navigational instructions." She told me, and I did as she said. Not a few moments later, a girl who must have been freezing in her skimpy outfit, waltzed out with a racing flag.

"We all know what to do. Tonight is the Gotham Circuit. Make the loop around downtown and make it back here. Obviously, the first one back gets the cash prize of 50 K. Is everyone ready?" The girl asked, and one by one, everyone revved their engines. I followed suit and the girl smiled. "Ready?" She raised an eyebrow. "Set?" She wiggled her hips, trying to be provocative. "Go!" She screamed and I slammed my foot down on the accelerator. The car lurched forward with a rawr and I was forced back into the red leather seat. I couldn't stop smiling as I quickly spead ahead the other racers like it was nothing. The car was performing like a dream and I couldn't help but outrun the other racers. It took me fifteen minutes to do the circuit. I finished about three minutes earlier than the other racers. The whole time, Selina and I were laughing and squealing with excitement as I drove. Even the tight corners were fun, the tired on the car were perfect for tight drifting and control all at the same time. The feeling i got from the racing, the closest I ever got to this was when Wally and I got a little two heavy and had to stop.

When we pulled up the the finish line, the crowd was cheering, and people were drunk or getting there. The girl with the racing flag waved it in our victory. The ringleader, the coordinator, walked up to the window and rapped on the glass. Selina laughed and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a pair of pitch black sunglasses, handing them to me with a calculated smile. I put them on and found that I easily could see through them, but they hid my eyes well. With the concealment, I stepped out of the car and faced the crowd. The sound of cheering amplified as I felt brisk wind touch my midriff. The man grabbed my wrist and raised it into the air, showing me as the champion of the night's race. The other racers pulled up, one by one, all with looks of defeat plastered across their faces.

"Tonight's King, well Queen in this case, is the beautiful Scarlet!" He announced and everyone cheered, whooping and hollering and music from someone's car blared. I looked back as Selina.

"Scarlet?" I snorted, and she laughed.

"I was thinking on my feet and your coat and the interior of the car is red so just go with it." She told me quickly before the flag girl walked up to me with a duffel full of cash. I happily took the cash and cried out in excitement. Everything was just peachy until the three other racers came up to me, one with a gun pulled. I could tell that the other two were armed, but the weapons weren't at the ready. This was going to be easy.

"You think you can steal from us?" The one with the gun asked. I recognized him as one of the Falcone Crime family. He was Carmine's grandson, but his name kept slipping my mind. I simply laughed at his tough facade.

"I won it, fair and square. If you'd like a rematch, I'd be happy to prove it to you by kicking your asses again." I taunted, throwing the money into the front end trunk of the car.

"Don't move, bitch. I'm warning you." He threatened in a deep and commanding voice, like he was used to getting what he wants. I snorted, walking right up to him and placing my head right at the barrel of his gun.

"You will not say, _don't move, bitch_ , to me. Got it? _I_ am warning _you_ , you sad sack of _shit_." I told him. Everything slowed down as I saw his finger move for the trigger. I duck and fanned up my leg at the same time, wrapping my leg around his arm and grabbing the gun from his hand. I aimed it back at him, right between the eyes as my leg constricted, getting his arm close to breaking. He cried out in pain.

"Let him go." One of his guys tried to order me, just like his boss. I have him a snide look.

"Even if you shoot me, I will immediately break his arm and even then, you won't be able to stop me from executing the prince of the Falcone crime family. _If I were you, I slide your guns over to me._ " I felt my incisors sharpen and extend as I smiled at them. The look of fear that filled all three sets of eyes was exhilarating. They slid the guns over to me and I bent down the pick them up. I switched on the safety and tossed them to Selina, who put them in the car with the money.

"Darling, it's time we made our exit. Scanner in the car says the cops are coming." My mother reported as I kept the gun trained on the guys head, right between the eyes.

"Sorry." I pursed my lips, tilting my head to the side. "Time to go." I flashed a fear inducing grin before contracting my leg more, breaking his arm before letting him fall to the ground as my mother and I climbed into the car. I revved the engine and pulled away, speeding back to the club.

"That was unexpected. You know, I could really use you in my next job." My mother smiled, looking out the window at the blurring light of the city beyond the car.

"I might actually take you up on that offer, but its maybe. I might have training or a mission. If I don't, I'm totally in." I shrugged, debating what I could do with her while I pulled into the garage. "So, should I leave the car here with you or…?" I asked, opening the door to step out with her.

"Leave it with me, I'll drop it off at the Manor as a _welcome home_ present. Big bow and everything along with the legality papers and such, as they are all in your name. I'll call you when it's in the driveway so you can be the first to find it. I'll keep the guns, you can take the cash, I don't really need it and you might want to save it for a rainy day." When she finished speaking, I watched as she took the duffel of money out and tossed it to me. I dropped it on the ground and walked over to her. We both hesitated at first, but I was the first to move, hugging her.

"Thank you, for tonight. I needed it. I'll call you the next time I can do this?" She smiled as I spoke.

"Yeah, anytime. You're always welcome here. I'll call you with the details of my next job and we'll see if you can make it." She smiled and I picked up the duffel, ready to head back to my motorcycle. "And Sylvia?" She called after me as I was heading out.

"Yeah?" I stopped, looking back at her as she pocketed the keys to the car after locking it.

"I'm really glad you called." She smiled and I felt this new, warm feeling in my chest. I had just spent the night out with my mother. That was something I've never been able to do. The night I met her didn't count. We were on the job and that never counts. I felt… _happy_ … that this was who my mother turned out to be. She might actually want to be my mother from here on out. I couldn't stop thinking about tonight as I found my bike, put on the helmet, and rode home to sneak back into the house.

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	32. Transgressions

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **January 25, 2011**

"I bought it, so I'm driving it to school." I told my father as I put my backpack in the front trunk. Currently, I had the money hidden in a metal box behind some loose wood paneling in the back of my closet. Today, I wore my hair down with a black knit hat with my red parka. I wore black tights with my uniform, my oxfords tied tightly.

"You still haven't answered me as to how you payed for it." My father was pinching the bridge of his nose, aggravated by the situation.

"Dick! Get your but out here! I'm driving us to school!" I shouted at the house before turning to my dad. "I've been saving my money, baby sitting for the upper class and all my spare cash, I've been accumulating it for years and yes, this is what I spent it on. Don't like it? I don't care." I snapped at him, climbing into the driver's seat and closing the door. Dick came out of the front door, still bleary eyed but was awake enough to look confused as to why I was in a brand new car. I pointed to the trunk in the front end of the car and he nodded, putting his backpack in before closing it.

"Sylvia Rose Wayne, don't you dare make me ground you." My father was angry with my behavior, but I just glared at him.

"Sorry that I'm upsetting you, _Bruce_." I snarked, starting the engine of the car. "Oh, and by the way, I didn't buy it. The note said it was from my mother. Maybe I wouldn't be so mad at you'd actually tell me who she is." I stared him down as I rolled up the window. He was speechless as I pulled away, driving perfectly normal so as not to worry him more than I already was. I felt awful, doing that to him. But I would rather him be disappointed than angry with me. I could make up for that disappointment and then some with all of the good things I've done as Sylvia Wayne and as Wildcat. I could redeem myself from that disappointment, but I couldn't have to worry about being forgiven for something that wasn't actually bad if he could know the truth. I looked over to Dick while we were stopped at a light.

"That was intense." Dick spoke up, sighing as he ran his hand over the red leather. "So your mom gave you this?" He asked as I got my eyes back to the road and pulled forward.

"Yeah, mystery mom of the year. Who ever she is, she sent me a belated Christmas present." I sighed, doing my best to lie to him. From what I could tell, it was easiest to lie while driving because it makes sense that you can't look them in the eye, you have to keep your eyes on the road. So far, he was totally believing me.

"That's so weird. You would really wonder, why now, after all these years?" Dick got into his detective mindset, but I ignored it.

"I must say, the woman has nice taste in cars. This is the newest model, this year's fastest street legal model out of any manufacturer." I started to gawk at my own present. Dick ran his hands on the leather once more.

"I hope I get a car like this. This thing is amazing." He smiled, staring at the dash. It wasn't long before he was playing with the radio. He landed on the song, _You Belong With Me_ by Taylor Swift and we both started belting the lyrics as I drove. Dick was doing his best to hit the high notes, in spite of the phenomena of his not-so-newly-discovered puberty.

"She wears high-heels, I wear sneakers. She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers!" Dick sang first, dancing in his seat like a tween girl. I got ready to belt.

"Dreamin' bout the day when you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time!" I belted, and then he joined me and we were singing at the top of our lungs, stopped at another red light while the car next to us was staring.

"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you. Been here all along, so, why can't you see? You belong with me!" We sang together, but I cut us off as we pulled into the school parking lot. I didn't realize how many more people stared at me today than yesterday. People were in awe of the car, and even more people were trying to get close to see who was behind the wheel. I sighed as I pulled into a parking space close to the entrance to the school.

"Dick, whatever anyone asks about the car, don't… don't say anything." I made him promise and he nodded.

"Are you lacking faith in my social abilities? I'm whelmed." He laughed before putting on his usual pair of sunglasses. The sun was blinding on this cold but clear winter day, the light reflecting off all of the snow. I reached into the glove compartment and grabbed the sunglasses from last night. After putting them on, I felt the confidence I had last night. No one could rain on my parade today. We both opened our doors at the same time and climbed out of the car. Our classmates and even some teachers were staring with interest, trying to figure out the owners of the Bugatti. I opened the trunk and pulled out my backpack, waiting for Dick to grab his before closing it.

"Oh my god." I looked over and saw Bette. Her protein bar slipped out of her hand and it hit the pavement. "Sylvia… is this your car?" She looked at me in absurdity as her eyes flitted between me and the car.

"Uh… yeah. Let's get to class, shall we?" I asked her, walking past her and the other students to head into the school. I felt embarrassed, with all the eyes on me. But at the same time, it was something I felt as Wildcat. The public always watching me because I was the hero, I was going to always save the day the best way I can. Now, I was a newer version of Sylvia Wayne. It was just time for me figure out if this was the best Sylvia I could be.

"Hey, Sylvia." Artemis said as I sat down next to her in Biology. I found out yesterday that for second semester, we were lab partners in the sophomore chemistry class. I was bored out of my mind, the elementary skills they were teaching us. The one thing that angered me the most about this class was how it was the only one I couldn't get into an advanced class. Not because I wouldn't qualify, but because the science tracks at Gotham Academy are set per grade. This semester, I was in all senior classes. AP English, AP U.S. History, Calculous, and Drawing and Painting Four. I had two electives, World History: Crimes Against Humanity and Computer Programming. I was every college's dream student in every way, but I was limited by the science tracks. The only edge we had, was that every science class gave us the option to take an AP test at the end. The next two years of my life would be electives, independent studies, interning, and being teacher assistants.

I made it halfway through my day without a problem, until lunch. I was just sitting at the lunch table with the girls, and I just picked through my salad. I had just broken down, coming back from the lunch line with a hamburger and fries, a fat cookie on the edge of my plate. I was calmly horking down the burger, listening to the gossip coming from the girls. They were spending their time, trying to socially catch me up on everything I missed when I wasn't at school. There were people hooking up, people breaking up, people getting into huge fights, just the usual. But what really struck a chord, was when my super hearing caught the sound of one senior, Donald Taylor, was pestering Dick, trying to haze him for being a freshman. I dropped my food and got up, dramatically, making sure my chair screeched as I stood, slowly approaching them.

"Don't be like that, _Dick_. You and Gordon are perfectly capable of handling my History and English papers." Donald stood above Dick, trying to intimidate him as he friends stood behind him, like his own high school henchmen.

"Screw you, Barbara and I don't have to do squat for you." Dick tried to defend himself without fighting, we weren't allowed to do that. Civilian rules of being a Bat protege. But Donald was having it, his hand grabbing Dick by his shirt, ripping him out of his chair, and pushing him into the wall.

"I need that paper by Friday, nerd. Get it done, or you're going to have to answer to my friends and I at the end of the week." Donald had Dick backed into a corner and his larger friend, Marcus Winslow, had Barbara stuck in her chair. He wouldn't let her leave to go tell a teacher. No one else was even paying attention. Not until they saw me coming over, the look of rage filling my piercing green eyes. I had that special expression on my face, the one my father used to keep other people in line. I was radiating fear based on the looks on the faces I passed.

"I'm not doing anything for you and your bird-brained pals." Dick said before doing something he shouldn't have. He spat straight into Donald's face. That, the offensive act, set him off.

"Why you little-" Donald wound back his fist to punch Dick, but in the blink of an eye, I was between Donald and my little brother, stopping his fist with one hand. "Back off, princess, we're a little busy." He tried to command me. I simply started to laugh, tightening my grip on his fist until he took in a sharp breath.

"Big mistake, Donnie." I said in a low tone before grabbing his jaw with my other hand and squeezing until he was panting with pain. He let go of Dick to grab my hand with his free one, but he couldn't pull me off of him.

"Let go of me, bitch." He growled in my hand, but that was an even bigger mistake. You _never_ call me a bitch. I twisted his arm behind him, still ready to shatter his left hand. He groaned, trying not to make any noises so no one would see him getting dominated by a pint sized female, definitely a fourth of his body mass. I pressed his arm into his back as I leaned to whisper in his ear.

"Okay, _bitch_. Talk my brother without permission, I break your arm. Talk to Barbara without permission, I break your arm. Threaten them, I break your leg. Touch them, even the slightest brush in the hallway, I break your jaw. Hurt them, and I'm going to get that precious aluminum baseball bat of yours, the one you bat with in the spring, and I'm going to put it where the sun doesn't shine. Then I'm going to kick you and your brainless friends' asses so far south, you'll be Dora and the Explorers." I looked over to his friends, who were frozen in fear. Marcus was slowly backing away from Barbara and the other was about to make a break for it.

"You're crazy." Donald said before I kneed him in the stomach.

"Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?" I stated so crisply that he flinched at every word.

"Crystal." He whispered. I let him go before turning to Dick.

"You okay?" I asked as the three boys ran out of the cafeteria. Dick was on the verge of laughter at the sight of them running in fear from a petit junior.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks." He smiled, but he lost that smile when I turned around, realizing that the entire cafeteria was silent. Everyone was watching what I did. "Still feeling the aster." Dick said, that made me feel a bit better, but people were still staring. As I walked back to my seat at the lunch table, people were getting back to what they were doing before I had made a scene.

"That was intense." Artemis commented next to me, under her breath.

"No kidding." I replied, and she was shocked I even heard her. There'll be a time and a place when I tell her who I am, and it'll all make sense to her when I do. But for now, I just had to get through my afternoon classes before it was time to go to the Cave.

At the end of the day, Dick and I left to get in the car, people staring once again as we drove away, the engine of the car purring. Just to spend time together, I drove him downtown. We did our homework at the cafe in the park, just to get some time away from everything. Sometimes, we just need something different in our daily routine. When we were finished, we went to dinner at a French Restaurant, just him and me, brother and sister time, before went home. But the time we got back, the street lamps had turned on and I had to use my brights to see the streets in the suburbs by the manor. Once we were at the Cave, Robin got straight into training with Aqualad as I went to hang around with Wally in the kitchen, waiting for it to be our turn on the training platform.

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	33. Valentine's Day

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Wayne Manor**

 **February 14, 2011**

This was the longest school day I've had in a long time. But it only felt that way as today was a special day, and I had plans. Today was the one day I actually did my homework during class, discreetly keeping it out of view from my teachers. This was usually frowned upon, but I had things to do when I got home. So, as I pulled into the driveway, I was surprised to see Wally there. My heart skipped a beat as I pulled into the garage, grabbing my backpack from the trunk and leaving Dick behind to go greet my Valentine. I ran to him, dropping my backpack in the February snow before tackling him. The blanket of snow cushioned the fall, but I couldn't help but kiss him as we layed there in the frosted grass.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I asked as we got up off the ground.

"I didn't even know I was coming. I had planned on doing something this weekend cause of school, but Bruce called. Something about going to the Wayne Foundation Valentine's Day Gala?" He smirked, his arms still around my waist as he leaned in to kiss me again.

"Get a room." Dick commented as he walked passed to get into the house.

"You know, you could have gotten in through the garage, perv." I glared at him, leaning back in to kiss my boyfriend.

"It was locked and I don't have my keys." Dick sighed as he went in through the front door that Wally left ajar. I snickered as I kissed him.

"Let's head inside. We have to get ready for the Gala thingy." Wally states, letting go of me to grab my backpack and walk inside, my hand in his. Once we were up to my room, I found a bouquet of roses and a small present.

"Oh, Wally." I stopped, covering my mouth as my heart felt like it stopped while I gawked at the roses. I couldn't help but laugh as he came around in front of me with his camera that I gave him for his birthday. He took multiple photos of me as I laughed at him and called him a moron. There were a dozen fully bloomed roses sitting in a vase on the trunk at the end of my bead and a small silver box with a red bow. I picked up the box and untied the bow, seeing what was inside. On a simple chain was a beautifully intricate pendant.

"It's a celtic love knot. I thought it would be perfect for you since you don't like to wear super flashy things on a regular basis. I know it's not mu-" I cut him off with a kiss, something was different about today. I didn't want to let him go, ever, but today I just couldn't stop myself. Luckily, he stopped me.

"We have to get ready for the gala." He said with heavy breath, still holding me, but we stopped moving. We were just standing there.

"You're right." I breathed, walking to my bedroom door, locking it to change. I looked back and Wally and he had a raise eyebrow. "What? It's nothing you haven't see before." I smiled, stripping down as I walked to my closet. I just slipped on a robe and moved into the bathroom, slowly and meticulously smoothing my hair back into a high ponytail. Wally came over and sat on the counter in my bathroom as I started putting on makeup to contour my already prominent cheekbones. I was in the middle of blending my face with foundation when Wally spoke up.

"Why do girls do all of this stuff? I mean, you're gorgeous without it anyway." He tilted his head, looking at the eyebrow brush in his hands. I grabbed it and started brushing my eyebrows and then proceeding to fill them in.

"Well, it's a societal thing. I have to look better than perfect in light of my… _recent illness_ … Alfred even made me go get a spray tan yesterday to hide all my scars. I mean, it's my skin tone, so you can't even tell but still. The dress I'm wearing tonight, if I didn't, my skin would cause suspicion." I told him, moving on to put simple nude eyeshadow, painting on cat eyeliner. Wally just sighed, watching me as I swiped on mascara.

"I don't care what you do, you'll always be perfect to me." He smiled and I just slightly back handed his arm.

"You're cute, but sometimes I have to worry more about the media's opinion. Especially after what happened." I looked down, clumsily rummaging for my lipstick.

"I don't care. Today, you shouldn't have to worry about anything. I'm your valentine and that's all that really matters at this Gala thingy. No one can ruin your night tonight." I couldn't help but smile at his words as I put on the dark red lipstick. I just stared at the mirror, trying to figure out what to do next based on my dress hanging in the closet. I looked down at my nails, they were silver, so I didn't bother changing the color, they would be fine for tonight. "You done yet?"

"No." I sighed, figuring out what to do. I reached up and pulled my ponytail out, grabbing my curling iron and getting to work with my many layers of thick black hair. It took a while, but when I finished, my hair was voluminous with large movie star curls. I went into the drawer and put a pair of diamond earrings in before looking to Wally. "How do I look?"

"You're insanely beautiful." Wally commented as he got off the counter and kissed me. My hands started to do what they wanted, running underneath his shirt, feeling his finely tuned abs, his muscles. He had a similar idea, my robe falling off my shoulders. But the moment was fleeting as I realized we were running out of time before we had to leave for the event. I smiled and pulled away, walking out of the bathroom, dropping my robe. I could feel Wally staring at me as I pulled on the dark red evening gown. It was haltered with cutouts on the sides, the fabric catching the light just enough to look luminescent. When I zipped it up, it hugged my tiny waist before cascading to the floor.

"Go, put on your suit so we can head downstairs. We have to leave a little early since we're the hosts of the Gala." I told him looking over as I put on my heels. He was already clipping his suspenders to his pants. I walked over to him and grabbed his bowtie off the vanity, finding that it was suspiciously the same color as my dress. I gently put it around his neck and started tying into a bow before neatly folding down his collar. He put on his jacket and we moved to head out of the door.

"Wait." He stopped, walking back over to the bed and grabbing the necklace and standing behind me, clasping it beneath my large and buoyant curls. I felt shivers as his fingers grazed the nape of my neck. But we marched on, making our way downstairs to wait with Dick and my father for the limo.

* * *

 **Gotham**

 **A few hours later**

Everything had been perfect up until this moment. I was dancing with Wally, him twirling me around and dipping me like it was nothing, like we were meant to do it for the rest of our lives. We would have atleast been dancing for the rest of the night, but as fate would have it, there just had to be party crashers. I was giggling and being twirled out by Wally when they came in, but I didn't see them until he brought my back in and dipped me back. I froze at the upside down sight of the the colorful crashers. I stood up and locked eyes with Wally, struggling to keep my claws hidden as I held onto the sight of Wally's eyes. He looked past my shoulder and saw them too.

"Babe, I need you to get me to the southeast corner of this floor." I whispered and Wally nodded, he bolted, first without me to gain enough speed to take me away in a blink of an eye. People only saw a blur and I was gone, almost as if I wasn't even there in the first place. Bruce and Dick were still there, just in case the clowns attacked while Walls and I were still suiting up. I dragged Wally into the supposed supply closet and pushed back one of the shelves of cleaners.

"What are we doing?" He asked as I stuck mine and Wally's hands on the wall, the whole thing rippling in green light.

 _Biometrics accepted, welcome Wildcat and Kid Flash._ The computer interface spoke as the wall slid open to an express elevator. I grabbed Wally and rushed inside, the elevator speeding straight down to a secure level, The Department of R &D and Applied Sciences, closed off to all but a select few.

"Far wall. Uniform is the third compartment from the left, sixth from the top." I told him as I grabbed my own, stripping out of my dress and putting my hair up in a pony tail and putting on my Wildcat costume.

"So, do you just have sets of my costume lying around in various locations?" He asked as I smiled as I hooked on my utility belt.

"We have everyone's costumes. We're always prepared." I told him before hopping on his back and making him run me to the elevator to get back up stairs. Along the way, I set out the help signal to the Gotham police. But the time we got back up to the floor, Kid and I were crawling in the air ducts, waiting for the right time to intervene. The Joker and Harley were dressed to the nines, like they were on the guest list, while the rest of their goons had joined them in their individually unique clown masks.

"Who said you could stop playing? That was out song!" Harley shrieked at the now silent band. They began to play _Funny Valentine_ as Joker pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the crowd.

"Now, not that this isn't fantastically fun, I'm here on business. So, Commissioner Gordon, where are you?" Joker said, but I had already slipped out of the air duct and remained hidden from sight, ready to get the drop on Joker as I gave Kid the queue to use his speed to get the Commissioner out and down the R&D department. The Joker stopped in front of Dick, grabbing his chin.

"Now who might you be? Huh?" Joker looked at Bruce as he held a knife up to Dick's mouth. My father was frozen, non responsive to the clown. "If this is your son, where is your daughter? Sylvia isn't it? Where is she?" He pushed the knife against Dick's cheek, the side of his mouth ever so slightly pooling with blood.

"She's not here." Bruce replied as a drop of Dick's blood dripped onto his collar. I sprang into action, infuriated. I grabbed Harley's giant mallet from her hands and ran.

"Hey! That's mine!" She complained as I slammed it against the Joker, sending him flying into the wall with more force than I should have been capable of. He went right through and his the back wall of the other banquet hall. He just started laughing as I dropped the mallet. Harley attacked me, pulling my back by my pony tail. I snarled as I used my own momentum to flip over her and crush her into the ground with a _thud_. My claws were out and I was about to knock her out when the Joker came up behind me, forcing a chain in my mouth and yanking back like a bridle on a horse. I bit straight through the chain and swung my leg back in a high kick, connecting with his jaw.

"Kitten! What have they done to you?" Joker laughed from the ground as I pinned his throat with my foot. I knelt down to get close to him.

"Frankenstein perfected his monster." I didn't even know what I was saying until the words had already slipped passed my lips. Harley came up behind me and swung her mallet. I jumped out of the way and squared up to her.

"We should exchange notes, where do you get your work done?" Harley asked, like she wanted a plastic surgeon. She swung the mallet again, but I swiped my claws at it and the handle split in half. Harley froze, staring at me with her eyes so wide that one of them was twitching.

"Oh, you've done it now." The Joker laughed from the ground.

"That was my favorite hammer!" She screamed, pouncing upon me, repeatedly punching me in the face until my nose was bleeding. But I caught her hand hit her arm with my free hand, breaking her arm. She shrieked in pain as I stood up and crushed her leg. Joker's smile stretched from ear to ear, his eyes wider than Harley's. I had crossed a line.

"You've really done it, _Kitten_. Playtime's over." His voice was deep but sounded curled as it passed his abnormally stretched lips. The putrid look on his face was unsettling. He pulled out his knives from his coat and charged.

* * *

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	34. Mistakes Were Made?

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Wayne Manor**

 **February 16th, 2011**

I opened my eyes to my phone going off, waking me up for school. I didn't want to move, or even turn on the light yet. My entire body was sore and I wasn't exactly sure why. I kept running through my day since the gala. I had gone off the deep end in that battle, and I was surely put in my place when I got back to the cave. My father yelled at me for nearly half an hour while I sat in the chair in front of the Batcomputer. I didn't say a word, leaving to go to bed without saying goodnight. Alfred tried to talk to me, but I locked him out of my room. Yesterday, I bided my time at school, maintaining my silence. Besides, I only needed to glare to keep the upperclassmen boys in their place. But when I finished my homework and went to the Cave, Wally couldn't take the silence. After training, he followed me to the Batcave, yelling and trying to get a response for longer than I'd care to admit.

I rolled over to turn on the light at my bedside table and froze. Just as I slid to reach for the switch, I felt something come with me. It hit me why I felt so warm in my bed. _Oh god_. I thought to myself as I looked under the sheets. _Oh god_. I rolled to look behind me, having to be careful, it being near impossible to escape the strong set of arms. His eyebrows were knit, like he was still angry, but considering what we did, he wouldn't be as angry when he woke up. His red hair was sticking out in all directions as his breaths shortened and he began to stir. I felt guilty waking him up, but I had to get ready for school. I turned back around and removed his hands from my bare body and jolted out of bed, sprinting across the room to my closet. I put on some undergarments and my uniform, careful to not tie my necktie too tight. I heard Wally groan as he started to wake up to the light being on. I slipped on my oxfords and went to the bathroom, starting to brush out my hair and put it into a ponytail.

"Wally." I said, calling to him after I finished brushing my teeth. " _Wally!_ " I hissed loudly, trying not to alert anyone to my unplanned houseguest. He jerked upright and looked around, eyes wide. I knew exactly what he was going to ask before he even opened his mouth. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, like he was in such disbelief that if he thought he could rub his eyes and find that he was in his bedroom and it was all just a dream.

"Why am I in your bed?" He asked in a groggy tone, jumping out of bed to find himself lacking his clothes. As angry as I was, I couldn't help but smirk as I gave him a once over before getting back to getting ready. I was starting to get angry again, and now was not the time for that. I had done something that I really was not supposed to do. Especially not in this household.

"Why do you think?" I snapped at him, grabbing his clothes off the floor and throwing them at him. He just kind of stood there, glaring at me with his clothes in hand. "Hurry up and get dressed so I can sneak you out before Bruce sees. He's going to kill you if he finds out." I said as I grabbed my school backpack. I knew my father had already gone to sleep a few hours ago. Wally just kind of stood there for a moment before getting dressed.

"Me? What about you?" Wally asked, putting on his clothes as fast as he could. I let out a quick snort, knowing that I wasn't the one that would get put on a shitlist if we were found out.

"Daddy's little girl, remember?" I told him as I started gathering my homework and putting it on my back. When I looked back at him, his face had twisted back to the look he had when he came to the manor in the first place. "Still mad?" I asked as I paused and listened through the house for heartbeats and smelled for where everyone's been and how long ago. In my head I calculated the best route to the Batcave.

"Don't think you're off the hook with this by a long shot." He said with narrowed eyes.

"Do I look like I care if I'm off the hook or not right now? Right now we are both _very_ on the hook. That was fantastic and all, but we are going to be in so much trouble." I told him, and suddenly I remembered more of last night, almost longing for it.

 _He was inches from my face, the screaming no longer ringing in my ears. It was a long pause where I could hear our breaths, our heart beats getting louder, faster. Out of nowhere he kissed me and I immediately responded and just seconds later, he had thrown me onto the bed. I matched every move he made. He took off my shirt, I took off his. I took off his pants, he took off mine. We managed to maintain harmony despite the level of anger we had built of inside. It just kind of locked itself away as we seemed to give up on our current emotional states._

"Oh, just shut up and follow me." I snapped at him as I got a hold of myself, grabbing his wrist and led him out of the room. I took him down the back stair case. Alfred was cooking breakfast, my dad was asleep, and Dick was going to wake up any minute. I got Wally to the study and moved the clock to the code, 10:47. The bookcase slid open and we ran. I took him to the zeta tube and sent him on his way before making my way to the kitchen where Alfred was, following the smell of a breakfast sandwich and coffee. I smelled the decaf coffee grinds and grimaced.

"Please tell me you didn't switch me." I groaned, sitting down at the table. Alfred just sighed before bringing me my breakfast.

"Now that would be child abuse, Master Sylvia. Master Dick on the other hand, he didn't go on patrol last night, so he doesn't need any unnecessary caffeine with the energy he comes by naturally." He explained as I took a bite of my sandwich. "It's a shame that you didn't invite Mr. West to breakfast, would have been interesting for Master Bruce." He spoke, and suddenly I was choking on my breakfast for a moment before swallowing hard.

"How did you…?" I asked him a half whisper. He chuckled to himself. There was no way he could have heard us last night.

"I had only assumed since the two of you stopped shouting at each other in a split second. That kind of yelling could be heard through the entire manor. The silence was suspicious, and I didn't actually know, but you just confirmed my theory, Master Sylvia." He laughed, breaking his usual serious demeanor. I couldn't believe was I was hearing, I felt so embarrassed. I could feel my face flushing past it's recent light tone. The heat was suddenly drawn to my cheeks as they blushed at Alfred's laughter.

"You can't tell my dad." I begged him, and he nodded, regaining composure.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Master Sylvia. Your father will have a much more entertaining reaction when he finds out on his own. Unless you're forgetting his level of skill related to his detective work." Alfred spoke in a low tone, keeping my secret. It almost bothered me that he took pride in all the secrets and gossip he contained. But Alfred was the most trustworthy person that doesn't wear a cowl. Not even Commissioner could come close, and his family is very close to ours. It was in that moment, I got a call on the burner. I walked out of the kitchen with my coffee and went to the west wing, where no one would hear me.

"Hello?" I answered, and I immediately knew what what was going to happen tonight. I had been waiting for this since she told me to wait for the call.

* * *

 **Downtown Gotham**

 **10:00**

"Yeah, dad. I'm still with Bette and we have a lot of our project to do. She took some data wrong and now we have to fix it, and it's gonna take a while." I forced a sigh before turning to my mother, who was suiting up. She tossed me a new suit, one that she got for me for when I run jobs with her.

"Just get the work done and try to get some sleep tonight, you have patrol tomorrow." He told me as I tucked the phone between my cheek and my shoulder as I dropped my pants to undress. I did my best not to groan as I moved my sore muscles.

"I know, I know. I love you, dad." I said, just as I always did. I could hear the police radio in the background.

"Love you, too." He said quickly before hanging up. The diversion was starting, the first wave of crime hitting the police radios. Tonight's job was big enough to where Selina had to cash in a couple favors. This was something that would attract my father's attention the most, so we needed chaos.

"Hurry up, can't leave without the driver." She laughed as I pulled on the jumpsuit. I pulled zipped it all the way up before putting on the mask. I looked over at the mirror as I hooked on the utility belt. It was a skin tight, black body suit, like my hero costume, but there was no emblem. The belt and a pack strapped to my thigh with ninja stars were dark grey. The mask was similar to my cowl, but looked more like a cat and only covered the front of my face, my hair flowing straight down my back. I wiggled my fingers in the gloves, ejecting my claws.

"Alright, let's go." I told her as I got behind the wheel of the car, ready to go. There were two more girls in the back seat in identical cat costumes, but one with blonde hair and the other with red. The second we were all ready, I slammed my foot on the gas. The car whipped out of the garage and we were on our way. It wasn't long before we were in the diamond district. I pulled into an alley right in between Gotham City Trust and Silverman Jewelers. We all got out of the stolen car, knowing we weren't going to be using it again. The Jewelry store was the target.

"Security is down. Remind Taylor and I again why we brought the girl?" The redhead, Kora, asked as I walked right up to the front door, barricaded from being after closing. I cracked my knuckles and wrists before clawing a perfect square in the steel, kicking it in with such force that it shattered the glass door it was protecting as it fell.

"Because," I stopped as the slab hit the ground with a massive thud, "I'm the muscle." I smirked before stepping through, the other three following behind me.

"Nicely done, sweetheart." My mother patted my shoulder before smashing a bunch of glass cases and filling her bag with diamonds and jewelry. The rest of us did the same, clearing the entire place out. It wasn't long before we were in the basement, and I was ready to break down the wall adjoining the store to the underground safe at the bank next door. This was going to be a big night for Selina and her girls.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter and taking to so long to write it! Junior year is kicking my ass again… But anyways, please** _ **REVIEW!**_ **It would be much appreciated :)**

 **\- thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	35. Aggressive

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **March 5, 2011**

At the last second, I dove out of the way of Superboy trying to grab me, rolling to the edge of the training simulation. He stopped immediately in his tracks and changed course, tracking me to my position. His stance had his legs wide, so I faked a jump and as he grabbed at the air, I rolled under his legs, like a burpee, but a summersault instead of a pushup. As he turned around, my leg swung high, aiming for his head. Superboy grabbed my leg out of the air and I jumped, twisting harshly enough to pull his arm and knock him off balance, but he was back up by the time I regained balance. I blocked six of his quick jabs before leaping over him. My hands grabbed his shoulders as I did a double full, spinning him around and shoving him into the ground.

"I think she's got it." My super hearing caught Artemis quietly commenting to Kaldur across the room. I pinned Superboy and the floor started counting down till he had to get up. He was cutting it pretty close.

"I'm not so sure." Kaldur replied as Superboy flipped the pin, holding me down. I had a moment of everything slowing down. The details filled my head, the rippling of his biceps, his breathing, his blue eyes looking into my green, and how he forgot to pin my legs. I waiting as long as I could to get the timing right, kneeing him in the diaphragm as he exhaled, knocking the wind out of him and allowing myself to throw him off of me. As we squared up again, I finally realized how sweaty we were, a bead of perspiration dripping off my nose and hitting the ground with a miniscule _sploosh_.

"How long have they been at it?" I heard Wally say as he walked in from the Zeta-tube. I didn't even hear the computer announce his arrival, I was so preoccupied. I bolted and threw punch after punch, using my weight and inertia, but being careful so as not to lose my footing.

"We're going on one hour and seventeen minutes." Artemis told him as Superboy attempted to kick my legs out from under me, but I jumped and did a front tuck over him.

"Shouldn't it be a draw or something? Aren't they tired?" M'gann said and I immediately say Superboy get distracted by her voice. I finally landed a right hook to the jaw, knocking him back before I pounced.

"They have too much dignity for that." Robin laughed as I kicked Superboy in the chest. He bounced right back and punched me in the stomach, I cracked my knuckle as he did it and keeled over, feigning that he cracked one of my ribs.

"Are you okay?" He immediately stopped to check on me, losing the competitive edge. The second he put his hand on my back, I grabbed it and flipped him so hard and he hit the ground with a loud _thud_. He head whipped back on the floor, like dropping a bowling ball, but he wasn't giving up. "So that's how you wanna play it?" His voice was angry.

"Is it weird, that Superboy could take her down without training and now that he is training they're equally matched?" Robin asked, and I heard a sigh come from Wally. Superboy leaped at me with his super strength and slammed me into the floor. I rolled out from under him again and managed to get on his back.

"This is exactly how I wanna play it." I whispered as I cupped both hands and slammed them around both his ears, discombobulating him. Upon instinct, he jumped up and back, so I let go as he hit the ground on his own.

"It is a little weird. What do you think they did to her…?" M'gann asked and I became furious, my mind flashing everywhere. I couldn't take it anymore. I was finally working out my pent up issues on someone who could take it. A battle cry ripped from my lungs as I raked my claws across his chest. There was no blood, but there were five red lines coming to fruition as he yelled.

"They probably got back into what made her a meta." Zatanna said and in that moment, I lost all control, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Guys!" Wally snapped. "She can hear you!" He hissed at them and they all fell silent as I fell into a violent rampage, chasing Superboy out of the training simulator. The next thing I knew, I was being pulled off a feeble Superboy, his panting body lying in what used to be the glass dining table. It was now shattered and the frame bent like he had been thrown into it, _hard_. I didn't know who was restraining me, but they were far stronger than Superboy. My father was trying to speak to my, his cowl distorting itself in my mind. He glitched, everything shifting to the left for a split second as I saw my father as a monster. His face was black a his eyes glowed red and black goo oozed out of his mouth and nose, like fresh, hot blood. I screamed and thrashed but I heard no noise. He yelled something behind him, and Hal Jordan removed Superboy from the room. My eyes flitted around the room as I saw Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, and Martian Manhunter guarding all possible exits. My father pulled off his cowl and help my face in his hands as I thrashed. I kicked upward and he deflected my leg with one slight movement of his hand. I snarled and growled as I felt my eyes shift feline and my canines elongating and sharpening. I kept fighting and fighting as he let go of my face and hugged me as my arms were still restrained behind my torso. He held me as I squirmed. Soon, my hands were released and I tried to claw him, but his suit withstood the attacks. He held me tighter and I slowed, panting. The second I fell limp, I realized there was a needle in my back. The sedation pulled my consciousness away from me as my father let go, holding me up, out in front of his person.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I heard him say over and over as I closed my eyes.

 _I was so confused, everything was gone. I wasn't in the Cave, I wasn't in Gotham, it wasn't even the Hall of Justice. There was no one around, just me and the landscape. It was a hill of tall grass up to my waist. I could smell salt and feel wind coming from over the rise. I ran up, trying to get to the top and when I did, I found a thin strip of beach, the ocean beckoning for me. I walked forward and stepped my bare feet into the sand. I looked down and found that I was in my school uniform without shoes. Mindlessly, I pulled off each article of individual clothing as I walked to the water. By the time I felt the water lapping at my toes, I was down to my bra and underwear. When I tried to step into the water, a water lily appeared allowing me to float. The beach disappeared as I looked at my reflection, seeing Wally resting his hand on the girl's shoulder who was looking back at me. As he ran his hands through my hair, he became a blonde girl, taller than me with wild, blonde, curly hair and crazy blue eyes. I could feel her, playing with my hair. I turned around and there she was. I watched her hands move, palms up, and the water around us rose like the tentacles of an octopus. They pulled me into the water and under the surface as I stared back up at her. The sky turned dark and stormy. The lightning flashed and her skin disappeared for a moment, like an x-ray showing me her skeleton._

" _Save me." She said, her voice clear as day as I sank. The water turned thick and red. I was drowning in blood. I tried to swim in the surface and I found myself splashing out of my bathtub. The blood spattered all over the bathroom, handprints everywhere. I was drenched in blood, faces rising to the surface of the tub. I screamed and scrambled to get out as I saw the slashed and bruised faces. The room filled with them as the lights went dark and I was in a nightclub._

" _It's okay, it's not your fault. None of this is your fault." Wally assured me, stroking my bloody, wet hair. I pulled away, wanting nothing more than to kiss him and go home. But before I could, I sucked in a pained breath, jerking upright._

" _You did well, kitten. But not well enough!" I heard Klarion shouting as Teekl, his familiar, hissed at me. I let out a cry of pain as I involuntarily scrambled off of the speedster. It was a few moments before my tears were no more, and I was losing everything again._

" _Sylvia! You can fight this." The speedster pleaded as I stood there. "Stay with me." He begged. But his name was slipping from my mind. If only it could slip from my mouth so I could hear it once more._

" _Come to me, princess. It's time to go home." I heard Savage order, and I obeyed despite the feeling I had whenever I was around him. The large brute of a man put an arm around my shoulder._

" _No!" I heard the boy yell as he ran after me. I looked back and saw a blur of both red and yellow coming towards us._

" _No no no. Not this time." Klarion smiled, putting a force field around us. The moment the red energy dissipated, I was pulled through the witch boy's portal, and the two speedsters were gone. The number sat, burned in the forefront of my mind. 568._

* * *

 **Bruce Wayne "Batman"**

 **The Cave**

We had her restrained and sedated in the Med-Bay as Superboy recovered in his room. The rest of the team was sent home as the Leaguers that could assessed the damage to the Cave. She destroyed three walls and cracked the floor in multiple locations as she was throwing Superboy around like a rag doll. After reviewing the security footage, we found that she had completely unhinged. The worst part was when J'onn went inside her mind, his reaction was worrisome.

"What she remembers, is not the whole story." Manhunter informed Wonder Woman, Superman and I. "She only remembers hearing her teammates, knocking Superboy out of the boundaries of the holopad, nothing, and then she remembers Superboy in the glass shards of the table and on. But her memories are altered, she shared a visual experience that her mind remembers as Fear Toxin. I went further and found traces of memories while she was with Savage. One of the major components used to condition her, was a very potent form of the Fear Toxin." He explained, and I felt my heart fall in my chest, but I did my best to hide my emotions, as I always did. "Batman, it's in her spinal fluid and has manifested a major role in her hypothalamus."

"I'll talk to Palmer about a treatment plan. She's too unstable to be allowed to maintain her position on the Team at this time." I had to pause, noticeable taking a breath of disappointment. "Her current presence places a threat to the members of the team. We were lucky that it was Superboy and not one of the others. If he didn't have his invulnerability, the situation would have resulted in a much worse outcome." I informed them of my thoughts before standing closer to the end of the bed, my hand grazing her boot.

"Shouldn't we move her? Keep her away from the Team for the time being?" Wonder Woman suggested, stepping forward and putting a hand on my shoulder. I shook it off.

"Why? Because she's a potential threat to them?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"Because they may impose upon her treatment." With that, I nodded and made the decision.

"We'll retrofit a cell in the Watchtower for medical purposes and keep her there. Protect her, and everyone else." I sighed, staring as my unconscious daughter. She looked just so peaceful.

* * *

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	36. Disconnected

**Sylvia Wayne**

 **The Watchtower**

 **March 31, 2011**

The treatment was hard on my body. I barely had an appetite and at the current moment, I was throwing up into a toilet. It was more like dry heaving, as barely anything would come out anymore. My chest burned as my muscles retracted, the involuntary movements pained as she lurched. But then it all ceased, allowing for her to stand up and drink a glass of water. The moment of relief brought her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where the food was that I was supposed to try and keep down.

I threw off the sweater I was wearing and tightened my ponytail, my feet cold from the stone floor. I bit into the burger set out for my lunch before setting it back down, grabbing the pill capsules of nanobots and chemicals I kept forgetting the names of and swallowed, chasing it with chocolate milk. I sat there, eating the food, staring out at the stars. Every day, I watched the sky. There would be battles every so often with Green Lanterns and outer space threats. I would watch those and guiltily hope that the threats would attack the space station so I would have some sort of real entertainment. All I had was staring out at stars and painting their ever changing patterns or brightness.

I went over to my tarped corner and grabbed a bunch of bottles of paint. _Hooked on a Feelin'_ by Blue Suede played loudly in my almost too big headphones. They were shiny and white, unlike the room I was in. It was dark, the walls primarily made of stone from the asteroid the station was made of. The way it made me feel was far from the feeling of being at home. As the _ooga chacka_ s of the intro played in my ears, I went back to the door like I did every day. My claws extended and I began scratching against the wall, trying to get to the wires to get the door open to go home. But today, the door opened all by itself.

"How are you feeling?" My father asked, walking into the room, donning his cowl. I pulled off my headphones and turned off the music. The sudden shock of silence was overwhelming. I often listened to music to drown out that horrible silence that came with being on an orbiting satellite.

"You know, you don't have to wear that to visit me. It would be nice if for once, you were my father instead of Batman." I told him, looking away and sitting on the bed. He just stood there as the door slid closed.

"Well, it's been almost a month. The League has been consulting letting you go to Earth for a little, but you'd have to come back before the day is over." He informed me. I could tell that my eyes had lit up, as my father had gained a little curl in the corner of his mouth. He was fighting a smile.

"Could I see Wally?" I asked, feeling the hole in my chest that had been festering since I attacked Superboy. I missed him so much, the separation was unbearable. He was my person, and I only saw one or two Leaguers I barely knew each day.

"Only with supervision. During your visit you will be kept under a close eye." My father explained, sitting down on the bed with me. I sighed and fell back, flopping on the mattress.

"You guys just want to see if I can handle being around human beings that aren't Leaguers that can handle me if I snap. This is a test." I growled, but my father sighed.

"Just because it's a test doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy the opportunity." He tried to convince me otherwise, but I just layed there. My gaze avoided his, not wanting to feel the need to read his vague expressions.

"If you guys don't trust me then it's not worth the risk to test me. I heard euthanasia was a _viable option_." I huffed before getting off the bed, referring to the things I could hear on the outside of the room with my super hearing. They thought it would an option to pursue the termination of my existence in the hope of putting me out of my misery and protecting others.

"Dr. Fate was simply voicing all of the options he thought we should pursue and the others argued against it strenuously. The option was never on the table." My father tried to reassure me, but I just went to the dresser and grabbed real clothes, changing in the bathroom as my father stayed on the bed. Re dressing was an obvious sign that I was going to take the visit.

"I'll take your stupid test, but the supervision is in the cave." When I walked out, he had already left the room. I stood there in a longsleeve tunic and leggings, pulling out my ponytail and my hair flowing free, grazing a few inches past my hips. I simply sat cross legged on the floor, staring at all of the painting I had made of the stars. I couldn't stop making them, getting a new section of the sky and planet with each one. I almost started another one, but the door opened and Black Canary walked through.

"Long time no see, Wildcat." She smiled, moving closer and giving me a hug, lacking the fear the others had around me. The physical contact was something I hadn't realized I needed. When she released me, we moved together out the door.

"Have they said anything about me?" I asked, hoping that Superboy had forgiven me for hurting him. I didn't mean to hurt him. But if it wasn't him, I could have killed someone.

"They miss you, Sylvia. Wally won't shut up about you. Connor just want to know if you're okay. M'gann, Artemis, Rocket, and Zatanna have been trying to schedule a visit, but the League wouldn't allow it. Kaldur has been trying to propose logical solutions to your treatment, having it moved down to the Cave so they can be near you while you're undergoing the treatment. They all just want you to come home, so maybe this visit will be healthy for everyone." She informed me as the two of us made our way through the Watchtower. I felt all eyes on me from just about every Leaguer, all of them seemingly weary of me. They all probably thought I would snap at any moment, despite the fact that they all know how her treatment is going. We walked through the Zeta-tube and I saw an empty Cave. Canary lead me from the hangar to the training room, where they were all training together. I grabbed Canary's arm and stopped her before we went any further.

"Can I just hang back for a second. I don't think they should see me like this." She told the hero, rubbing her hands together. She was skinny again, on the verge of emaciation. The treatment was fueled by her caloric intake. Whenever she took a new dose of nanobots, they would stop off at fat deposits to refuel before working to filter out the toxins from my systems. It's increasingly difficult the more my body begins to produce the toxin from my hypothalamus. All at the same time I've been injected with Narcan to shut down the receptors in my brain from receiving the toxin while the nanobots fix my nervous system.

I peaked around the corner and saw Wally in his Kid Flash costume, training with my brother who also donned his Robin costume. There was another boy in the corner, hair black like my brother's but slightly longer towards the front. He was in a dark pair of sunglasses, a hoodie, and a pair of jeans with his convers. He seemed to be studying my brother very closely. The boy looked a few years younger than him, but eager to jump into the fight. Zatanna was standing near him, her black hair pulled into a ponytail for once while she wore a loosely fitted tank top with jeans and slip ons while she made quiet incantations, making various tattoos appear and disappear on her skin, like she was bored from sitting on the sidelines.

Artemis was standing very closely to Kaldur while Rocket stood off from afar, hands on her hips. It looked like some weird love triangle had formed while I was away. But Connor and M'gann were standing together as if nothing had changed. M'gann's hair was getting shorter, and she now wore a solid blue dress and a cardigan, like she was slowly shaking the _Marie Logan_ look. Her lips were even smaller and her green now matched Martian Manhunter. Connor seemed even more comfortable with her than he did before. Like standing with his arm around her was as easy as breathing. I exhaled and came out of my hiding place, holding back my need to run away and hide from all of them. I skirted along the wall, no one notice my presence aside from Canary, who smirked and focused on the sparring before her. Wally cheated and used his super speed, knocking Robin back. The simulation ended and he smiled briefly in victory. I came out of nowhere and stood behind him, standing on my tip-toes to cover his eyes with my hands. He froze, not knowing what to do for a moment. I realized that because I could not see the rest of the Team, they could not see me behind him.

"Oh my god." Wally said almost inaudibly. He whipped around to face me, just holding his hands to my face as he took in a good look. That was the moment he pulled off his cowl so I could really see his face. Wally bent down as he pulled my into a deep and endearing hug. The feeling I had in his arms, the smell of his skin, the softness of his hair and the heat of his breath. But he loosened the hold and looked down as me, his eyes sad as he gently traced the defined line of my collar bone and the defined contour of my cheek bones.

"Hi, Wally." I whispered, hugging him once more before peaking out from behind him. In that moment, I realized he had grown, and now I only came up to his chest. They all seemed happy to see me, all smiling warmly except for the newbie. I didn't know who he was, but he seemed to know me, because my presence confused him. There was a series of hugs and lines welcoming me back until I ended up facing the new kid.

"Hi, I'm Cat." I introduced, not using my real name because my usual rules still applied. My hand was outstretched waiting for him to shake it.

"Right now, I'm just Jason." He introduced, not bothering to shake my hand. "So you're the kid who went psycho and kicked the crap out of basically Superman?" He asked and everyone went silent. I just laughed.

"Well if that's what happened, I'm sure you don't want to cross me. Therefore, I suggest we drop this subject. This is a test and I'm determined to pass. Bring it up again, who knows what might happen." I told him, crossing my arms and tapping on one with extended claws. The kid was silent for a moment, and it seemed like he would drop it, but he didn't.

"I don't think someone as bony as you could do that much damage. Do you think maybe they exaggerated your rampage?" He asked, and Canary stepped in.

"Jason, that's enough-" She tried to dissolve the situation, but I put my hand up.

"Don't test me, _boy_." I threatened, fighting back a low growl. I knew I would be fine. I had to be fine or else I might hurt someone again. He just put his hands up in surrender, but the look in his eyes showed otherwise.

"Sorry, I was told I should bring things up. I'm Batman's main test for you." He smiled, laughing almost. "Let's try this again. Hi, I'm Jason." He put his hand out for me to shake it and I forced a smile, retracting my claws to grasp his hand.

"Cat." I told, him. I didn't realize until that moment that Wally's hand was gripping my shoulder, almost holding me back. I turned around and whispered to him. "I'm fine, really." I promised.

* * *

 **Hi guys, sorry I haven't been updating. A very close friend of mine was in the hospital, then I was in a place, then I was in Alabama for a school trip and now I'm heading into the state regionals for soccer. If anyone was wondering, I'm a GoalKeeper and I get a lot of bumps and bruises. I actually just got back into the season after my tendon decided to be very scary and old scar tissue making my** **X-rays look like I had a fracture, but I'm all good. It was just an anomaly that I've had since I broke it when I was little. Sorry, I'm rambling, so I'll just get back to writing the next chapter!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	37. Healing

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for not updating. I've had a busy end of the school year, a lovely and half awake vacation to my father's house a couple states away from my mother's, and most recently my mom has had bronchitis, therefore I have been taking care of her. But now I'm back!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **June 9th, 2011**

 _I didn't understand what was happening. In my dream, the scene kept changing, over and over again. The only thing I was consistently seeing was water. My head ached as it tried to keep up with the change. It was all happening at an increasing pace. It was difficult to comprehend everything. A tap running, a pool, a stream flowing through the woods, a storm drain, the ocean, a glass getting knocked over and spilled, etc. Some scenes were repeated, some weren't, and it happened over and over until it stopped at the ocean. I remembered this beach, I had been here before._

 _I remembered Alfred taking Dick and and I here the second month that the little bird was living with us. Just like that, I was a little 11 year old again. At the time, Dick hadn't been talking to me and everytime I tried to talk to my new brother he would run and hide in his room. He was so little back then and Alfred wanted him to feel welcome, so the first time my dad had to leave the new kid home with us because he had a mission off the grid, Alfred took us to Martha's Vineyard. This beach has soft white sand, and the day we came to this spot, the boats were out, so the waves were perfect for using boogie boards and a little bit of surfing._

 _I remember Dick just sitting in the sand when I decided to get up, taking a deep breath. Alfred just watched as I straightened out my swimsuit and walked down the beach the bridge, where people were jumping off like a diving board. I walked past the rocks and up the little dune to the bridge. When I stood on the wooden railing, I looked over and saw Dick running closer and closer to the bridge, only to plant himself in the sand. Alfred was still at our towels while still keeping an eye on the two of us. I just put my back to the water, and leaped into an arch. The slow flip was perfect for a single rotation in the water. When I surfaces, I had swam out to the rocks and carefully climbed out. When I made it to the sand, Dicks vibrant blue eyes were watching me intently as he finally had a big smile on his face. When I returned to bridge, he came with me. I stood patiently on the edge as I watched him leap high into the air like I had known the little acrobat would, and he did the most graceful triple ful all the way down into the water before I jumped in after him._

 _But the memory faded and the people vanished from my dream. The sky grew dark as I climbed out of the water. When I had returned to what I thought was our stuff, everything was missing. When I looked out to the water, there was something coming, fast, just below the surface. The bow wave expanded aggressively as the thing came closer and closer. But it stopped perfectly in its tracks just before the shallow water. I was about to let my curiosity get the better when something rose from the water. But what breached the surface was girl. The first thing I noticed was her wild mess of blonde waves, somehow dry after being submerged. Her ocean blue eyes were staring me down. She wore a simple white dress that looked like silk, flowing about with the water as she gracefully walked in the water to me. Only when she was inches away did she stop, kneeling down to come face to face with the younger version of me. Her eyes bore into mine as I heard something. It was like I could hear what she was about to say. It was like a thousand whispers until she opened her mouth and I heard her speak._

" _Find me." Just like that, the world was silent of everything but the waves crashing in the surf. I didn't know what to say, but she must have not intended for me to respond. She turned back and slowly walked back into the sea, the water parting with every step. I could hear the familiar song, her humming echoing in my head. I was just about to go after her when the parted water around her crashed back into uniformity, leaving her nowhere to be seen._

I awoke in a sweat, the clock on my bedside table reading eight after five. I didn't have to be up for almost an hour. But my body didn't seem to want to sleep anymore, so I climbed out of bed and stripped off my damp pajamas. I walked straight to my shower and turned on the water. Today was the last day of school, and I didn't have to wear my uniform, so I was going to have to look nice. But all I could think about was the dream. I could already tell that it was the result of my guilt of leaving Tori behind. I didn't remember who she was while I was there, but now that I do, I can't get over how she is basically enslaved to wait on them, hand and foot. But as I keep thinking, the more I feel the nausea and fatigue that comes with not having eaten anything since the night before. So, I let my mind focus on the task at hand, to speed up the showering process before the inevitable fainting occurs before I get something to eat.

By the time I got out of the shower, I had to sit on the floor as I crammed a bunch of almonds a cheese cubes into my mouth that I had stashed in my room for moments like these when I couldn't make it to the kitchen. I've been having to eat an increasing amount of food lately, and it's been ridiculous. The nanotech that is in my system is still using my fat stores as an energy source, and it's near impossible to keep up with the necessary caloric intake. When I looked in the mirror, I was forced to remember that I wasn't my normal 130 pounds of solid muscle, but how now, I can barely hold onto 104 pounds. I look almost emaciated with my ribs protruding, my collarbones and hips prominent beneath my skin.

I went to my closet, pulling on a pale blue, loose fitting romper with long sleeves and white leaf designs all over the fabric. I was sure not to wear one of my usual dresses that were fitted around the waist. I didn't want people to realize how skinny I've actually become. My legs looked fine, there was enough muscle left for them to not alarm people like the rest of me. Then I started on my hair, brushing out all the wet kinks and wringing out the water into the sink. I felt the dizziness returning, so I paused and started eating again, this time it was a bag of pretzels. When the feeling subsided I got back to smoothing out my wet hair and wringing it out with a towel until it wasn't dripping with water.

When I was finished, I brushed my teeth and swiped on some mascara before heading back to my closet and stepping into a pair of white vans. The last thing to do was grab my phone and purse, and head downstairs for the breakfast that I could smell Alfred cooking. It was now ten till six. Usually Alfred is up this early making and eating his own breakfast before ours. I was sure he wouldn't mind me joining him, so I walked down the stairs carefully to the ground floor and to the kitchen. He was so surprised to see me that he nearly dropped the frying pan where he was flipping a small omelet of eggs that he often puts in breakfast sandwiches.

"Good Heavens, Master Sylvia! I barely heard you walking down the bloody stairs!" He was laughing. I started to feel the nausea again, so I moved to the cabinet and started snacking on a box of captain crunch.

"Sorry, I woke up early so I thought I'd eat breakfast with you today while I wait for Dick to be ready to leave." I told him as I sat down with the box of cereal.

"That sounds like a lovely idea. Why don't you toast the bread while I get the rest started?" He pointed to the pantry, so I retrieved the bread, buttered it up slightly, and stuck slices in all four openings of the toaster. I kept waiting still I had toasted enough bread for everyone's breakfast. Eight pieces for four sandwiches. When I had finished, Alfred had already melted the cheese onto the eggs and started layering the bacon on the soft cheese. I brought over the bread and helped put the sandwiches together. When it was all said and done, we put the two sandwiches for my father and Dick on a hot plate so they'd still be warm when the two of them came down.

"You can sit down and start, I have something I need to fetch and I'll be back in just a moment." Alfred said, looking at his watch. I just sighed and took my sandwich to the table, biting into the ooey gooey goodness of bacon, egg, and cheese between buttered up toast. I was on maybe the third bite when I nearly choked at the sight of a familiar red head walking into my kitchen. I swallowed the bite and basically jumped out of my seat, running into Wally's arms.

"What are you doing here?!" I asked him as I looked up at his freckled face. He just laughed. I looked back and saw Alfred now pulling out a massive amount of food that he must've already prepared for Wally's presence.

"Well, since it was the last day of school for you and I got out a few weeks ago, I thought I'd surprise you this morning. But you woke up before I got here." He laughed, giving me a kiss on the cheek. He was right, it was just about 6:10 and I'm usually waking up around this time. Alfred has my schedule down to a T, so he probably coordinated this with Wally.

"Well that's really sweet of you, but you don't have to come to school with me." I told him, knowing it was probably the last sort of place he wanted to be when his summer has just begun.

"No, no, I'm happy to accompany-"

"Uh, don't you mean chaperone? Monitor? I don't need a babysitter." I glared at Alfred, almost irritated at the thought that they were going follow me around like Artemis and Dick have for the past few months I've been at school. Usually I didn't notice because I was always studying to get back on track since I missed so much school this year. It was horrible, but I managed despite the constant watching from tweedle dum and tweedle dee.

"It's not babysitting, I just thought it would be nice. Plus Artemis and I are already coming over for you and Dick, we all just thought we could all hang out together." He did his best to assure me, his hands on either side of my face to make sure I was looking at him. I sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I'll be happy to have you accompany me." I told him as the two of us sat down to eat breakfast, but there was still the tugging feeling from earlier that I couldn't shake. The guilt was still there, so I slipped my hand into my purse and grabbed the burner phone, putting it in the waistband of my shorts. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Wally asked as I got up from my chair, walking towards the exit.

"Bathroom, I'll be back." I laughed, making my way down the entire length of the hall into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I dialed the first number and speed dial and impatiently waited for the other end of the line to pick up, pacing in a small circle and quietly tapping on my leg. Four rings had come and gone before I was about to hang up and try again, but then I heard my mother's voice, groggy, but functional.

"Sylvie? Sweetie, not that I don't love you, but why are you calling this early?" She inquired, making me realize I had just woken her up.

"I need your help. I need you to find everything, history, genealogy, and possible locations for one Victoria Weylin."


	38. Searchlight

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **June 10th, 2011**

I opened my eyes as the first light of morning drifted through my window. I felt the warm body next to mine, and I quietly slipped away, feeling the cool air touch my naked body. I drew the curtains so Wally wouldn't wake up. He was technically here for a sleepover with Dick, but, he snuck into my room after Alfred went to bed and my father left for his scheduled all night Watchtower duty. Oddly enough, Superman and Green Lantern were covering for him on patrol since Dick and I had the night off. I went and slipped on a pair of shorts, a tanktop, a hoodie, my Gotham Knights baseball cap, and a pair of running shoes. I grabbed the bag I packed when I got home from school and the duffel of money I had been accumulating whenever I pulled jobs with my mother. I went back over to the bed and kissed Wally. He groaned as I shook his arm to wake him up, finally.

"Babe, I have to go meet up with Bette, promised I would help out with her ACT tutoring today… and if I'm not here, my super hearing wont wake me up to hide you if I hear someone coming towards my room." I told him as I put his clothes next to him. "You might want to get dressed and finish sleeping in Dick's room." I told him and he groggily got up and started putting his clothes back on.

"Have fun with Bette." He smiled as I kissed him again.

"I love you, Wally." I told him as I headed for the door.

"I love you too, Sylvie." I heard him say as I walked out the door. I felt bad lying to him, but it was the only way he wouldn't come looking for me. I hurried down to the garage so no one would see me leave. The moment I was in my car, I felt that faint feeling, so I dug into my bag that was sitting on the seat next to me and started eating a protein bar. The minute I felt better, I opened the garage door and sped away, racing to my mother's club. The drive was easy, but I went slightly slower as I drove with one hand and ate with the other. I kept going over the conversation I had last night with my mother. Before Wally had snuck in and after Alfred drove Artemis home, my mother called back.

" _Darling, your mother has worked her magic." I heard her say after I answered._

" _You found her?" I asked, hoping for the best, but there was a short pause. I would have searched for her myself, but that would require using the Bat-servers, and I can't have my father finding out what I'm going to do._

" _Yes and no. I found her history, genealogy, and_ _possible_ _locations for the target. The thing it, they probably move and hide her like nobody's business. So, I found the footage from the night she was taken for the experiments, like you were, and I got a body scan and a facial scan to use in recognition. She's been moved from city to city, and you only see her face when she's leaving a city and they never follow their flight plan. The only time she is conscious and highly visible during transport, is when they're leaving a city. So, I've created a digital schematic of the flight plans, and where they actually went after deviation. I want you to come here tomorrow and help me with those god given detective skills of yours to find out where she might be."_

I was racing through the Downtown of Gotham until I found the nearest Best Buy, buying a laptop with the best processor and other capabilities I could find on short notice and included a bund of flash drives and hard drives to ensure we had everything we needed incase the information we recover needs to be decrypted in massive file dumps. I paid in cash so my father wouldn't be able to trace my purchases. After that, I made my way to my mother's club, pulling into the garage in the back upon my arrival. She was already waiting for me as I grabbed my bag and climbed out of my car, continuing to eat. I was on my second protein bar. When I stood up outside of the car, she hugged me while I crammed the last bite into my mouth. Her long hair was curled in perfect ringlets that slightly reminded me of a Hollywood Movie Star. Her lips were painted a deep shade of red that made her smile into something more daunting, but nonetheless friendly, or possibly motherly.

"How is my dear kitten?" She asked, and I flinched. I remembered how _he_ used to call me that. But it would be useless if I let a common nickname get to me.

"I'm doing well. I hope you have a lot of food on hand. I'm going to need it. But I brought some just incase we need to get more later." I told just after I swallowed the food in my mouth.

"I have food, but I'll send out a girl or two to pick up more. Just write down a list of things and flavors that you like and they'll bring it along with some takeout so we can have some real meals while we're working." My mother handed me a pen and a pad of paper to make my list as she took my bag. We sat down in her office in the back of the club and got to work. She made sure the door to the physical office was locked, but allowed for her physical private lounge to be open incase any of her girls or clients need anything. I got situated at her computer, syncing the data to the laptop I had just bought. This way, everything she had, I had. I even programmed the clouds of both servers to merge, therefore if one computer saved something, the other would receive a copy.

My mother had handed off my list with couple additions of her own to a girl with red hair that I was recognizing from that very first job I worked with my mother. We all were in cat themed costumes and they doubted a _child_ could run in the big leagues with them. I couldn't help but laugh to myself after I saw the looks on their faces when I destroyed the metal door to get into the locked down jewelry store. When my mother returned to get to work with me. I was already going through to files. She began pulling up a timeline and talking me through it. I ended up entering the different locations that Victoria had been taken to. But it seemed like the only way to find out where she may be next after we see which city she leaves from, is to create an algorithm, a simulation to analyze the pattern of travel. I factored in the distance between cities, the original flight plans that weren't followed, how long she stayed in each location, and correlating factors such as known activity from Vandal Savage, Klarion, and other members of the Light. The only thing that befuddled me was why Klarion didn't just teleport them. But maybe it's to keep up appearances and possibly to have their secret _Light_ meetings without any possible interruptions. But other than those peculiarities, I continued to work. Factoring in her behavior that I remember and accommodations that had to be made because of her gift.

When I was finished, I had let the program do its work, taking a bit longer than I had expected. I got up from the table and went over to my mother, who was retrieving a large bag that I could smell had takeout in it from some french restaurant. I could tell by the specific scent of steak and frites, one being a bordelaise with caramelized onion and red wine sauce, the other a bearnaise with it's classic sauce. My mouth was watering from the scent drifting from the bag. Even more so when I picked up the scent of chocolate mousse and chevre cheesecake. I was simply dying at the smell of the delicacies. I could even smell something cold in the separate bag, a chilled scent of strawberries and another of nutella, in an underlying scent of milk and sugar.

We sat down on the sofa with our food in hand, sharing everything half and half since neither of us could decide what to eat. My mother had turned on the television and the two of us sat there, eating and laughing at the monster hunting antics of our two favorite characters in the television show we had chosen. I felt happy. Though this was simply part of the wait in searching for one Victoria Weyling. I needed to find her, but we were doing all we can for the time being. It's not like she's being tortured, but I know how much she needs to know freedom. How much she will feel and understand when I bring her back to her family. But only after I help her escape the hold he has on her. If she underwent the same experiments I did, I was going to have to help her though this treatment that I've been enduring. My brain has slowly stopped producing the fear toxin, and soon I would be free to get fat and happy as I see fit. No more letting my family have to hug a skeleton. No more Wally having to hold someone who is simply skin and bones. Things would get back to normal, and I would be free to return to my hero work. Right now, all I could do is coordinate missions from either the bioship, of the cave.

After a while, my phone started going off like crazy, my family trying to find me. But I ensured they wouldn't by having my phone's signal and gps bounce off multiple towers, making it out of the city, basically placing me everywhere. At once. But I still felt guilty when I would listen to the voicemails of a worried father trying to find me, a nervous Wally, an irritated little brother because he can't hack my triple encryption as fast as I can put back up the walls he's torn down, and a calm Alfred who seems to trust that I can handle myself more that the others seem to think so.

"Do you think they'll find us?" My mother asked as she typed on her computer. I was still combatting Dick's almost rapid decryption.

"No, between my father's training, Canary's, and Savage's, I'm pretty much golden." I sighed, the guilt subsiding when I reminded myself why I was doing such things. Tori needed my help. I may not have known who she was while I was there, let alone who I was, but I know now that she cannot be ensnared with them forever. I needed to find her and I needed to save her.

"That's probably a good thing. But if anything, there's no way I'm going to let you go in there alone. I could go with you." My mother offered as she got up from her desk and when to the refrigerator.

"Well, it's not like I can stop you from tagging along. I don't think I can do this alone either, and if we're stealing one of Savage's assets, might as well have a world class thief by my side." I smiled as she came over, a strawberry smoothie in hand. She was stirring it, and I could smell the protein powder she was mixing in.

"Yes, that does seem like a good idea." She laughed, handing me the smoothie. I just looked at her, slightly confused. "What? You're starting to look flushed and that's usually when you need to eat and since your hands are a bit busy I bought a smoothie instead of food. Faster to take in too." She pushed the cup closer and I took the cold glass in my hands.

"You're right." I sighed. "I am starting to feel a little tired." She smiled and sat down on the sofa with me.

"So, how is combatting your brother going?" My mother asked, looking at my computer screen as I switched to typing with one hand for a moment, taking a huge sip of the smoothie before swallowing and getting back to two hands.

"Pretty well, he may know computers better, but I'm programming with both python, assembly and C++ interchangeably. I switch when he least expects it, so he has to figure out which one I'm using in each package of data. I learned the tactic when I got up close and personal with Enigma. He may be annoying, but he sure likes his coding to be hard to solve. I've had to go and help Amanda Waller once while baby brother followed Bats to Russia for some mission… I think with missile codes? Launch sequences? I'm not completely sure. I was having this huge issue with 'Nigma…" I trailed off, suddenly realizing that my brother had stopped.

"What is it?" She asked, worried as I slowed my typing. I checked the clock and compared it to his lack of activity.

"I think he's gone to sleep." I yawned. It was three in the morning.

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 **A/N: Hi guys! Remember, please _REVIEW!_ Hearing your feedback at this point can only help me in my writing process to get you guys your story! **


	39. Search and Rescue

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **New Orleans**

 **June 23rd, 2011**

Day after day, I have spent refining the program to find her, predicting her movements is not easy. I have spent all of thirteen days thwarting my brother's tracking, perfecting the program, finding new variables to incorporate, fixing my own mistakes in calculations and programming over and over. But today, it finally found a city, and I am going rooftop to rooftop with my mother not far behind as I used my heightened sensed to track Tori. I listened for her voice, the one that so kindly spoke to me when I was confused. I was always confused. I smelled for the scent that was ingrained in my mind the day that we met in that freezer. I scanned the streets and windows for any sight of her wild blond hair or those ocean blue eyes that I could never forget. I had to find her.

"Any luck?" My mother asked as I sniffed the air, jumping to the next roof.

"No, not ye-" I cut myself off, finally picking up a scent of fresh cotton garments and lavender soap. It was her. I sniffed in every direction, allowing my senses and instincts to take over as I found a direction. "This way!" I called to my mother as I sprinted, vaulting from building to building as fast as I could. It had been an hour of us sprinting across New Orleans until I heard a very faint sound of humming. The more I honed in on it, the more I realized it was the song, the one I would hum in the program, the one she would hum every time she was taking care of me under Savage's orders. My eyes widened.

"What is it?" My mother asked as tried to hone in further on the sound and scent.

"It's definitely her, she's humming my song!" I said, realizing I probably sounded like a lunatic as I bolted, nearing her location. When I stopped, the only thing between us and her location, was Bourbon Street. Not many people were out this late at night. Bad if we wanted to disappear into a crowd, good if we don't want a lot of eye witnesses. My mother stopped next to me and started scoping out the place. Most of the windows upstairs were dark, but when one room's lights flickered on, I saw her. Tori was wearing a white cotton dress, her wild curls contained in a french braid that fell over her shoulder. As I watched her, she pulled open the window, giving her access to the little flower box outside of her window. I watched as she discreetly willed water from another room into the box. She seemed happy, tending to the white chrysanthemums. I noticed her rearranging some of the flowers slightly, trying to hide the one lone flower with pink petals. I snapped out of the trance I was in, watching her, and scanned the house with infrared binoculars. I could see two guards in the front, two in the back, six upstairs, and a massive looming figure in the basement. There was a large screen generating a lot of heat. He must be pre-occupied with a meeting, contacting the Light. My mother returned from scouting and stopped next to me.

"There's a lot of surveillance and manpower. If we do this, we have to be prepared to fight our way out. I'm gonna need you to cram some food down your throat now, because we aren't going to have a lot of time. We have to get in, get the girl, and get out. Sure, we could just pull her out through her window, but one, she might not be able to do that as well as us, and two, " I nodded, reaching into my pack and pulling out a protein bar. I wolfed it down and took a moment to take a step back. My mother was waiting for me to move as the signal to follow. I took a deep breath, and sprinted. As I sprung into the air, my body arched right through the cool Gulf wind. It was only a few seconds before I felt my claws elongate, allowing me to dig into the wall and cling, just to the right of Tori's window. The lights were now off, so I silently, slid the window open further and did my best not to ruin her flowers as I climbed inside. Tori was laying on the bed, trying to fall asleep. I knew she was awake, because I could hear her heartbeat, not yet slowing. I silently approached her in the darkness, quickly putting my hand over her mouth to ensure her silence. She flailed in her bed for a moment, trying to scream.

"Shhhh, I need you to be quiet." I whispered to her, crooning her almost. I pulled back my mask. "Tori, it's me. I've come to rescue you." I assured her. She stopped screaming, and instead of fighting, she lunged to hug me.

"I knew you'd come." She said quietly, her voice muffled by my shoulder. I pulled her off me and grabbed something out of my bag and I heard footsteps and voices downstairs. Something about the silent alarm.

"I need you to put this on." I told her as I handed her an all black jumpsuit and a pair of slip on boots. She nodded and didn't hesitate to strip down, putting on the black gear. "Easier to disappear when you blend into the urban nightlife." I explained as my mother climbed in through the window. That was when the real alarm went off. I ran for the window but Tori stopped me.

"When the motion sensor is triggered by someone entering, there is a silent alarm. If there is a second entrance, kiss the escape route goodbye." She said as a metal sheath closed over the window and an alarm blared. We were out of time.

"Halt!" I squad of guards had opened the door to Tori's room and pointed their guns at us. I immediately figured out a plan.

"Don't shoot!" I yelled, pulling down my mask once again, sauntering towards the squad of five men.

"Hold your fire, this one is one of Vandal's pets." The supposed leader ordered the men. I wore a feeble expression.

"Take me to Savage. His little princess has returned." I told them, forcing my voice to sound impatient needy.

"Come with us." The man ordered as the men surrounded me as an escort. Just as we started moving, I discreetly took them out, one by one in a matter of seconds, knocking them all out without signaling the rest of the guards downstairs. Tori looked confused and my mother nodded approvingly in the strategy. I let Tori lead the way through the house. The second we made it down the stairs into the foyer, the entirety of the guards were upon us. The only way out was the front door, and they were between us and our goal.

"Ready for battle, Mother?" I looked to Selena, and she smiled.

"We were bred for moments like these." Her smile twisted as both of us attacked, using nonlethal force to fight the men. I slashed and bit and kicked, fighting tooth and claw against gun wielding men. I did my best to grab one, and force all of his shots into the wall with the occasional flesh wound of his comrades. After throwing him to knock out a small group, I grew tired and knew we were running out of time, and energy. I threw a rebreather to Tori and she stuck it in her mouth. My mother and I did the same just before I let loose a small arsenal of gas pellets. When the green fog cleared, everyone was on the floor, but someone else had joined the party. Vandal loomed over me with his massive shadow. I put up a hand and Tori ran to hide behind my mother.

"Go!" I yelled as them, and they blew up the metal door, making their escape.

"My little princess has indeed returned." The large neanderthal reached out to stroke my cheek, but my body jerked, avoiding his touch. "That's no way to behave little girl." He growled as he backhanded me. My face throbbed as I took another step back.

"You know I'm too fast for you to land another hit. Even if you did, you'll fail to capture me. After all, you did create what I am." I laughed, taking another step back as he lunged to grab my small frame. I kept skirting around him, distracting him as my mother took Tori to the rendezvous point that I had fed to my father in the encryption that my brother had been trying to break. The goal was to have the heroes pick us up. Vandal wouldn't dare try and go up against a force that would outnumber and overpower him. No matter how brutish he fought against us with his savagery. I heard my comm in my ear as I started shifting my evasion to attack.

"Cat, they're pursuing us to the point. We need help." I heard my mother's voice and gunfire in the background.

"Sorry to cut this short, Savage. Give Klarion my regards, or don't. I don't really care." I blew a kiss and flipped him off in the process as I ran out the blown open front door. As I sprinted, I found someone stopped at a light on a motorcycle, so I shoved them off and stole it, riding off on the route that my mother and Tori would be taking. I could hear the shouting of the man behind me whom I stole the bike from, and I could hear the gunfire ahead of me. I revved the engine of the bike and pushed my luck on the accelerator, leaning with the bike to make sharp turns. When I was finally trailing the men chasing my mother and Tori, gripped the handlebars of the motorcycle tightly, and stood up, placing one foot on the seat, and only letting go of the handle bars when I hand the other foot safely planted to lock the front wheel in place. I straightened out my entire body, perfectly balanced as I came close to the truck pursuing my family. Before, the even knew what was happening, the bike went right up next to the truck and I dove onto the roof. I grabbed the gunmen who was standing through the sunroof and threw him behind the car, to roll in the street. This was my moment to climb through the opening. First I took bother the gunmen on the left and right, and bashed their heads together, just enough to knock them out. I dove into the back seat and slashed my claws at their hands, forcing them to drop their guns. I tossed each firearm out of the car, but one pulled out a back up and began firing. I was hit once in the shoulder and once in the side. I felt both and they were through and throughs. I was stronger than that. The man sat in shock as I growled, grabbing him by the neck, my claws digging into his skin. I threw him out the door and into the street. The other guy had climbed up to the front with the driver, who was gaining on my family.

"Do you have a death wish?" I snarled, leaping to the front of the truck and gripping the wheel from the driver.

"No! But you do!" He yelled as he left on hand on the steering wheel, grabbing a knife and slashing at me. I gave up and grabbed the blade, my hand bleeding, but I felt nothing. I ripped the knife from his hand and jammed it in the other, piercing through the flesh of his hand into the leather of the steering wheel. He screamed in agony as I felt a blade pierce my back. In a fit of rage, I spun around to the man who escaped me in the back seat, slashing my claws across his face, distracting him before kicking him out of the car, the door swinging open at we moved. I gripped the steering wheel once more in one hand, the other, at the driver's throat. I turned the wheel as quickly as I could. Just as the car went sideways, I saw mother turn aside, slamming on the breaks. The car rolled twice before I got the timing just right, diving out through the sunroof, soaring high enough to land safely on the street as the car rolled. I sprinted to my mother and climbed in their stolen getaway car.

"You alright?" My mother asked as we sped off into the night. I touched my wounds and assessed myself.

"GSW to the shoulder, bleeding is slowing, through and through. GSW to the side, also slowing and a through and through. Lacerations on the palms are starting to scab already. Stab wound to the lower back… still has a knife in it… whoops, I'm gonna leave that in to keep from increasing the loss of blood." I sighed. Tori looked at me in horror, reaching for my face. I glanced into the rearview mirror and saw that it was splattered with blood.

"We're almost there. I have your father on comms and it's safe to say he is _not_ happy." My mother told me, reminding me that now the cat was out of the bag. I guess common knowledge will now have to include that I know who my mother is. Though, the less secrets I keep, the more trust I have in my life. I reached into my bag and pulled out another protein bar, eating away the fatigue. Just after I swallowed the last bite, the car finally stopped. We were out in the middle of the Louisiana Bayou. I could feel the mush of the swamp as we all stepped out of the car. I looked back at my seat and saw that it was soaked in blood, but not as much as I would've expected with my injuries. I saw my father, M'gann, Superboy, Kid Flash, Robin, Martian Manhunter, Aqualad, and Black Canary, everyone we requested incase Savage followed us minus Superman. He had Watchtower Duty. I could tell that everyone was staring at Tori and I. The only thing I couldn't distinguish was whether they were staring at my wounds or the new girl who had taken off her black jumpsuit, dressed in stark white clothing with her golden hair and pale skin illuminated in the moonlight. She looked a bit like a goddess. If only they knew she sorta was one. Master of water, an ocean goddess despite the dna of an Atlantean Sorceress. My father stepped forward.

"Get on the BioShip, I'll debrief you on board." He ordered, and I just smiled and hugged him. I really did miss him.

"I'll totally debrief with you, but I'm gonna need a hospital." I pulled apart from him. "I may not be able to feel it, but most of this blood is mine." I sighed, stumbling. I turned and showed him the knife in my back. "I really need someone to secure this in place before it falls out and I bleed more." I gestured to the knife, stumbling and my speech slowing. One thing that wasn't failing was my hearing. Savage was coming, but I didn't have to warn them.

"They're coming, we need to get out of here." Superboy heard them, even confirming it was them with his infrared vision. I felt my brother wrapping the gauze from his utility belt around my waist, securing the blade.

"Flash, take her to the zeta tube, we'll meet you at Gotham General. There's a doctor there that's privy to her physiology and knows to keep her identity a secret." My father ordered. I felt Flash pick me up, careful to hold me without touching the blade. I glanced back to Wally in his Kid Flash costume. He might not forgive me, but I had hope from the look on his face. But right now, I just had to stay relaxed, and be ready to comply with whatever doctors and superiors have in store for me after my actions.

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 **A/N: Don't forget, please _Review!_**


	40. Victoria

**Victoria "Tori" Weylin**

 **Gotham General Hospital**

 **June 24th, 2011**

I opened my eyes to a stark white room, and I honestly thought it was all a dream. That Sylvia came to save me, that her mother brought me to the heroes, that Sylvia let herself get shot and stabbed, to make sure we got away. I felt my heart sink in my chest as I sat up, looking at the white scrubs. All I could think of was how they were probably doing more experiments. They stopped when they captured Sylvia back, but they started again when they left her in the space station. I started to get almost as skinny as she did, but I remembered how she wasn't hungry, so I always made sure to eat. Even if I couldn't keep it down for long. I nearly fell off the bed when the door opened. It was Sylvie in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown and was hooked up to an IV. That red headed boy was pushing her. I remembered her mumbling in her sleep, about some boy named Wally. But whenever I asked her who he was when she was awake, she couldn't remember. But one night, she woke up suddenly, telling me how she dreamed of a boy with fiery red hair and freckles on his cheeks, with green eyes that made her think of evergreen trees. This was him, and this isn't a dream.

"Good morning, Tori." She smiled. I could see the emerald color of her eyes that had long since passed the last time I saw her in that room. Her raven hair was shiny once again, and as long as ever. It fell past her shoulders like a waterfall in the night.

"Where are we?" I asked, not completely sure. The night before had been a blur, and I fell asleep on what they had called the _Bioship._

"We're in Gotham City. Since I had to go into some minor surgery to fix up some of my insides, they brought you here." She explained. I noticed she was scratching the skin around her IV port.

"So… S-so there were no experiments? I just crashed here at the hospital?" I asked, absolutely nervous. But I took a few deep breathes once I started hearing the water piped groaning. I couldn't lose control. I can't be destructive.

"No experiments. The only thing even remotely close are going to be minimally invasive tests to ensure you're okay." Sylvia told me as Wally reached down and locked the wheelchair in place. He grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to her, sitting down and holding her hand.

"So the testing will be exactly what she said, to make sure you're okay. The thing is, when we got Sylvia back, she wasn't exactly herself. First it was trying to get her to gain the weight back-" I cut him off.

"Which I see she hasn't done-" But Sylvia snapped at me.

"I did, let him finish." She got defensive. I started to get the feeling that something very serious was happening.

"So we got her to gain the weight, but then she was having little mental breaks and moments, until finally she had one last trigger. She nearly killed on of her hero teammates, which is saying something because this teammate in particular is half Kryptonian. What happened was, one of the major components used to condition her, was a very potent form of the Fear Toxin. It was in her spinal fluid and manifested a major role in her hypothalamus. The treatment is to give doses of nanobots in capsules designed by the Atom. The weight problem started because the nanobots are fueled by her caloric intake… Speaking of which…" I watched as Wally dug around in his pocket and handed one of those _big 100 colossal_ protein bars. The look on Sylvia's face was priceless.

"I freaking love the peanut butter pretzel ones." She grinned as she tore into the bar, motioning with her other hand for Wally to continue.

"So, because the nanobots are fueled by caloric intake, whenever she took a new dose of nanobots, they would stop off at her stomach and fat deposits to refuel before working to filter out the toxins from her system. We found that it because increasingly harsh on her body when her hypothalamus began to produce the Fear Toxin to replace what was missing in her body chemistry. That was when the drug Narcan was introduced to her system, to shut down the receptors in her brain from receiving to toxin while the nanobots fix her nervous system and revert her body chemistry to its state before she was taken by Savage." He seemed to be finished with the explanation. Quickly scratching the top of his head, slightly messing up his red hair.

"So are you telling me all this because you think I might have had the same alteration in my biochemistry?" I asked, nervously rubbing my hands, slowly with a lot of pressure. I couldn't help it. Sylvia noticed my nerves and decided to speak up, pausing her snack.

"That's what the tests are going to tell us. We know how to handle it, so it'll be easier for you. If you do have the fear toxin in your system, I'll be with you every step of the way. So for you, we'll maintain a low stress environment as you gain your weight back before we start the treatment. Then when the treatment starts, it'll be hard to keep food down at first, but then your body will acclimate. The hard part after acclimation is ensuring that you're eating enough. If I don't eat enough, I'm prone to fainting and malnutrition. But you have nothing to worry about. It's still an _if_ , and we know what we're doing. I got tested again this morning, and I'm in my last stretch of my treatment. Only a week or two left depending on how quickly my hypothalamus ceases in producing the toxin." She finished, but a buzzing sound started. Wally pulled a phone out of his pocket and handed it to Sylvia.

"It's yours." He told her, and she pressed the answer button.

"Hello?" She sat there for a moment, listening, then put her hand over it. "Alfred is here with my things since I have to spend another day here." She looked to Wally. "Can you get maybe one or two of the girls in here to stay with her while I'm gone? And make sure one of them is M'gann?" She asked him before hanging up the phone and setting it on her lap. "Don't worry, Tori, these girls are really nice." She told me, almost motherly, before reaching down, unlocking her wheelchair, and pushing herself out of the room, Wally holding the door.

"I'll be right back with some people." He assured me before heading out himself. The door closed and I got up, walking to the window, not completely sure if it was okay for me to be exposing myself. But I quickly soon learned that it was probably not okay. When I looked down at the parking lot, there was media amassing. I stepped away from the window and turned on the television that was set up in my hospital room. I immediately saw the famed Cat Grant reporting outside the hospital. I sat on the bed and watched in confusion.

"Good Morning, we are live outside Gotham General Hospital with breaking news. The Weylin Case has been reopened. Authorities are baffled by the sudden discovery of the teenager, especially after she was pronounced dead at the underground lab that was exposed by one of the girls who escaped and ran for the street in Central City. The now sixteen year old was recovered late last night in New Orleans. We have shocking footage of the teenager and her rescuers being chased through the French Quarter that you are seeing now. The two rescuers are in feline costumes, and it has not been confirmed, but speculators say the Gotham hero, _Wildcat_ , teamed up with the thief, _Catwoman_." As I watched, I saw traffic camera feed showing last night's chase and Sylvia ripping people out of the vehicle. But then the scene changed to me standing in the window just moments ago, side by side with a photo of me from before I was taken. "Here you see the rescued teenager, looking safe and well. We are awaiting more information-" Cat Grant paused for a moment. "We have just been informed that Victoria's family has just landed in Gotham, and are on their way here no-" I shot off the television and looked at the floor. My _family_. There was a fog that lifted, and I suddenly started to remember names. I felt panic well up in my chest. I've been gone for four years and just about four months… and they thought I was dead all this time. But I was distracted from my panic when the door opened, and just about four girls entered, instead of the two that were promised.

"Hi. You must be Victoria." A raven haired girl that reminded me a lot of Sylvia but with cyan colored eyes, walked over to me and offered her hand. I shook it with caution.

"You can call me Tori." I told her, looking around at the other girls.

"Well, Tori, I'm Zatanna." The girl told me, smiling so innocently, just like Sylvia did before they wore her down. She wore a lavender colored tank top and white pants with matching white shoes. I saw her elbow the blonde next to her.

"I'm Artemis." She gave me a warm smile. She had long, blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail. But the blonde was confusing me. This girl was half asian, with grey eyes that almost looked black. She wore a white crop top with a brown jacket and black jeans tucked into knee high boots. She was taller than Sylvia, this Zatanna girl, and I. Even taller was the girl next to her.

"I'm M'gann." The pale girl smiled, her brick red hair and eyes shining in the light above us. She wore a pink headband in her hair and white shirt under a pink short sleeved cropped sweater with a matching pink shirt with knee high socks and dark blue oxfords. Something was bothering me about her. I got this weird vibe in the back of my mind, and it seemed to be coming from her. I winced and her eyes seemed to widen. "Sorry, I'm a telepath. Sylvia told me to make sure you didn't have any programming from Savage like she did." Now it all made sense.

"You're name is M'gann and you're a telepath? You sound a bit like the Martian girl that Savage and Queen Bee complained about when Psimon was put out of commission." The room's silence seemed to turn awkward.

"As a matter of fact…" M'gann slowly morphed, her skin turning green right before my eyes. But just as quickly as she turned green, she turned caucasian again, just to keep her cover. The room was silent for a moment before the last girl stepped forward.

"Well, I'm Raquel. It's nice to meet you." This girl smirked, shaking my hand like Zatanna did. She was african american with short, spiky black hair. She wore a green tank top with a pair of blue jeans and knee high boots similar to Artemis's. She had a long black knit sweater in her hands.

"So…" I didn't exactly know what to say to these strangers now that the introductions were over. "Do you guys go to school with Sylvia?" I asked, since they all looked about the same age, except M'gann, who looked like she was a senior in highschool.

"Well, I do." Artemis chimed in. "But we all know each other from our team." She explained. I couldn't help but smile.

"You mean _the_ Team? Honestly I like anyone who can irritate Vandal on a regular basis." I told them, and they all began to laugh. As worried as I was, about the testing, my family, the Light, and the annoying hord of news channels outside, I was starting to feel safe. Well, as safe as a girl who escaped and immortal could be.


	41. Family Ties

**A/N: Okay, so just letting you know, there will probably be more chapters like this one and the one before it that are from the perspective of Tori. Also, PLEASE** _ **REVIEW!**_ **It would be very helpful!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**

 **Victoria "Tori" Weylin**

 **Gotham General Hospital**

 **June 25th, 2011**

I tested positive for the same fear toxin incorporated in my nervous system. I was laying on my side, the back of my hospital gown was open. They have been spacing out the tests in order to keep me calm and reduce the amount of pain I endure at a time. Right now, they were tapping my spinal fluid to test the levels of fear toxin to get a better understanding of the role it's playing in my system. I couldn't help but squeeze my eyes closed, hoping the pain would disappear as the epidural did nothing to numb the pain. Sylvia was by my head, holding my hands in hers as I was almost sweating through the plastic cap on my head that was holding my hair out of the way. I felt a few tears squeeze their way out of my eyes as I felt the last needle get pulled out. I finally felt relief as the pressure was gone and the doctors were pushing more pain meds through my IV. I exhaled and just laid there as they tied the back of my gown shut.

"You did really well." Sylvia said as she handed me a pair of sweats and a longsleeve shirt. It may be warm outside, but it definitely wasn't warm in the hospital.

"Well?" I said just before I gasped in pain as I pulled the shirt on over my head. "It's excruciating." I told her as I pulled on the pants and removed the cap maintaining my hair. My wild curls fell down my back as they were set free.

"I know the feeling, I went through all the same tests." She assured me, guiding me into the wheelchair. I was careful to sit, finally relaxing as she started pushing me towards the cafeteria. I sighed as we rounded corner after corner to the elevator.

Sylvia no longer needed Wally to wheel her around. She was making a faster recovery than I would have anticipated. I was told that it wasn't truly recovery, but the fact that her pain threshold had grown to be a lot higher, as Savage had initially anticipated. As long as she didn't exert herself. Her healing would go according to plan. She made me envious, how as she would be returning to a healthy state, so would I, but only to have to watch her stay that way as I deteriorated to try and free myself from the fear toxin that was plaguing my being. I looked back at her as we rode the elevator, studying my rescuer. Her raven hair was as long as ever, grazing the tops of her hips. She was watching the floor numbers slowly blink with her emerald green eyes that were lined with a thin line of eyeliner and accentuated with mascara. Around her neck was a leather choker with a single silver coin, intricately designed like an aztec calendar. She wore a loose burgundy tank top with a black sweater and black jeans. I could see her bandaging through her clothing, especially the bulk. On her feet were a pair of grey slipons. A Gotham Knights baseball cap was tucked in her back pocket. To me, it was weird seeing her dressed like that. I met her, everyone down to their skivvies, and even then, when we had meal times all together we were wearing white patient scrubs. Even with savage, she was always wearing white. If it wasn't white, it was ever so faint pastels. But here, now that I'm getting to know her, she tends to dress as dark as her past. When the elevator door opened, she pushed me down the hall to the cafeteria.

"So, I can totally get anything you want delivered here, but the social worker and the therapist agreed that social exposure might be better for you after everything." Sylvia told me, and I nodded. "So what do you think you might want for lunch?"

"Well, I'm sure the cooks aren't super great, so maybe a sandwich?" I looked to her and she smiled. She grabbed a tray and handed it to me to hold in my lap. She pushed me over to the sandwich station and looked at all of the options.

"We've got ham, turkey, chicken, vegetarian, salami, egg, fish, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and honey…" She trailed off, waiting for me to decide. It took me a moment to figure out what I wanted.

"Sorry, it's a little hard to decide. I haven't been able to make a decision as simple as what food I wanted to eat in a long time." I looked at the floor, rubbing my hands nervously. Sylvia smiled and bent down to be face to face with me.

"You know, the first thing I ate after being freed from Savage, was ribeye steak with fries and a strawberry shake. How about you just grab whatever you think looks good or whatever first comes into your mind. And when you're discharged from the hospital, I'm going to take you, and who ever you want to come with us, to restaurant with your most favorite type of food and I'm going to treat you with whatever you want for dinner." She promised me, hugging me before she stood up. I just took a deep breath and looked at the sandwiches. I kept thinking about how much I loved ham sandwiches and relished the days when the chef savage kept on hand would make me one. But it reminded me of the times I spent with Savage. So I went for the furthest thing from ham, and looked at the peanut butter sandwiches. There was one thing I never had while I was with Savage.

"Hand me the peanut butter and honey sandwich." I told her as we went to a similar station with food sides. I ended up grabbing a pudding cup and cup of pineapple, cantaloupe, and watermelon. She wheeled me over to the drinks and I just grabbed a bottle of water before having her wheel me to the desert station to get something I haven't had since before Savage took me. I had her get a soft serve, chocolate and vanilla swirl, with rainbow sprinkles, muddy buddies, cookie dough, caramel drizzle, and a maraschino cherry right on top. The cherry, I hadn't even thought about, and Sylvia put it on top anyway. She gave me a spoon and set a fork on the tray for the fruit in the cup. She wheeled me over to a table and sat down with me. She had been adding her own choices of food on the tray with mine and began eating with me. I went straight for the sandwich, loving the sweet taste of the honey half soaked into the bread with the best peanut butter I had ever tasted. Well, it was either the best, or my nostalgia was getting the better of me. I had finished the fruit and the pudding when I started getting into the ice cream. I was in the middle of my second bite when I nearly choked. Over by the windows, I saw a girl, wildly curly strawberry blonde hair with icy blue eyes that were sad as she stirred a bowl of soup. There was a boy next to her with golden blonde hair and ocean blue eyes, just tapping away on his phone. He was obviously older than her and looked maybe a year or two older than me. She, looked about few years younger than me.

"Tori, what is it?" Sylvia asked, I shook my head. I got back to my icecream, but tears began streaming down my cheeks. I could hear piped creaking with water growing in pressure. I took a deep breath and the sound went away.

"You know, James is a lot easier to recognize. He and I always looked a lot alike. I feel like I always had him, well, _someone_ , when I looked in the mirror. But Lenore, oh little Lenore." I covered my mouth, trying to muffle my hyperventilation. Sylvia leaned over and hugged me, careful not to touch my spine. "I missed out on how much she grew up." I said as I cried into her sweater. She was stroking the back of my head when she whispered to me.

"We could bring the food back to the room if you're not ready to see them yet. They could come see you when all the testing is over, if you're more comfortable with that." She offered, and I nodded, my face still against her sweater. This is when I realized she finally pulled the baseball cap from her back pocket, and placed it on my head, the visor pulled down. She set the tray on my lap and allowed me to hold it as she placed our ice cream on it. She wheeled me out of the room and right back to the elevator. But right when I looked up at the three adults next to us, two of which were my parents, but my mother was not holding the hand of my father, but this stranger. This stranger with black hair and brown eyes. Nothing like my ocean blue eyed father with his auburn brown hair. My mother, with the straight blonde hair I always wished I had, but was bestowed upon Lenore, along with our mother's icy blue eyes. Rage began to fill my being. My hands balled into fists as my knuckles turned white. The water bottle on the tray began to boil and bubble, forcing the adults to look. I took a deep breath before the elevator door opened. Sylvia wheeled me out, but I could hear my father.

"Victoria?" I heard his voice shake as I was wheeled back to my room.

"What the hell was that?" Sylvia asked as she shut the door.

"Those were my parents, and my mother seems to be with someone else now." I told her, bitterly, as I did not want any of it to be true. But then my heart sank and I began to cry again. Sylvia helped me back into the bed and pulled the blanket over my legs. She sat on the side of the bed and held me, stroking my hair as I cried. When I got myself to calm down, she handed my the ice cream and we began eating it together. I didn't know what to do with myself. But I didn't have to decide for very long. There was a knock on the door that usually meant the doctors were here to see me. But when Sylvia opened the door, it was my whole family… plus the stranger. They pushed right passed her.

"Hi, sweetheart." My dad said warmly as he approached the bed slightly. Lenore bolted from behind James and jumped on my bed immediately hugging me. I bit back the pain and just let her small arms engulf my rather lacking frame.

"Sorry, I can have them leave…" Sylvia said, knowing I was in pain. But I shook my head.

"No, if I want them to leave, I'll ask them to do so." I said, finally reciprocating the embrace with Lenore. "Lenny! You're all grown up!" I told my little ginger sister as she pulled away from me. She was 13 years old, and the last time I saw her, she was just a child. James came over and hugged me and I felt so good, feeling my own flesh and blood with me. I felt the embrace grow deeper as my father joined. When my mother joined, I exhaled and let go of them all.

"I've missed you." James said as he kissed me on the forehead. I smiled and just looked at Lenore.

"Hey, Lenny, why don't you and James go with my friend Sylvia here and she'll explain my situation over ice cream while I talk to mom and dad? Yeah?" I looked between the two of them and Sylvia.

"So, which do you want first? Our time together in captivity, my first daring escape, our second time in captivity, or the health treatment the two of us have to go through?" Sylvia asked them as she led them out of the room, and shut the door behind them.

"What would you like to talk about?" The stranger asked. I just looked at him.

"And you are?" I grimaced at him, and he smiled like I was actually interested in who he was or something.

"George Tommen." He held out his hand, but I didn't shake it. My mother stepped forward.

"Your father and I were getting distant long before you disappeared. When we lost hope in finding you, we got a divorce and last year, I married George." She explained simply. I was infuriated.

"Get out." I spoke coldly, staring right at her. She seemed taken aback.

"Excuse me?" She asked, and I gave her a dry smile.

"You didn't waste time getting on with your life. Four years, and you manage to want to start a new family without us… without _me_. By all means, dad can stay. But the two of you, can get the _hell out!_ "


	42. Celebration

**A/N: Just letting you guys know, I'm going to be doing little time skips so we can get to the important stuff faster :)**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **July 4th, 2016**

 **Mt. Justice**

We were all spending the day at the cave, celebrating the anniversary of us not only finding Superboy, but the first time the sidekicks all teamed up. Everyone was even going to spend the night in the cave since it's a two day event. Today is the celebration and the team-up, tomorrow is celebrating the declaration of the Team. Tori was going to be here, but she decided she was going to spend the Fourth of July with her family. She told me Lenny had begged her, and no one can say know to those big, icy eyes. Currently, she wasn't speaking to her mother, so she was living with her father in Coast City. She wanted to spend as much time with him and her siblings as she can before she comes to stay at the Manor during her treatment to correct her biochemistry. Since we know what to do in terms of home care during the treatment, she was going to be staying in the bedroom across the hall from mine.

So I was in the bathroom, staring into the mirror. I knew everyone wanted to be spending time in the water, so I was highly uncomfortable in my swimsuit. The nanobots were removed from my system only yesterday, so I was still extremely thin. To try and cover my ribs, I wore a white, halter one piece. You could still see my ribs, but it was better than wearing a two piece, letting everyone see the bones protruding from my skin. I tried to hide it more by pulling the wrap out of my bag, taking the two corners, crossing them in front of me and securely tying the corners together behind my neck. I still didn't move from my spot, messing with my long black hair. I thought about stalling more by putting it into two french braids, or doing a five piece braid, or fishtailing. I just didn't want to leave the bathroom.

"You know, you can't hide in here forever." I heard Artemis say as she came into the bathroom. I just sighed and faced her. She was wearing a blue bikini with a white button down that sat open, but was long enough to almost look like a dress.

"I bet I can hide in here long enough for everyone to go outside so I can zeta home." I told her, rubbing my hands. I looked down and accidentally reminded myself that my wrists were bony and tiny.

"But then everyone would miss you." She reminded me before coming closer. "You know, Wally told me to come and get you and tell you that this whole thing wouldn't be the same if one of the founding members didn't attend." She smiled, grabbing my bag. "So why don't you come with me to the beach, and then you can cuddle up with Wally on this oversized towel that I can see in your bag." She smiled and I couldn't help but hug the blonde.

"Thank you." I told her before I followed her out of the bathroom. She let me the secluded beach just outside the mountain, where I found teammates laughing and playing with Justice Leaguers. The mentors with proteges on the team were here along with Captain Marvel, Black Canary, and Wonder Woman. There were a few faces I didn't recognize, but there was a man and a woman on either side of Captain Marvel, talking to Kaldur. The three of them wore the same sigil of a golden lightning bolt and white, greek styled capes with golden embroidery. The girl had a skirt instead of pants, and her uniform was white with gold accents. Her hair was a warm, dark brown with sky blue eyes, and olive colored skin. The guy had the same uniform as Captain Marvel, but blue instead of red. On either side of Aquaman, who was talking to Wonder Woman, was a teenage guy with long, raven black hair, and a girl with short, red hair. The two of them wore atlantean garb, the girl's reminding me of something you would see on a native hawaiian or other pacific islands. There was a girl next to Wonder Woman who could've passed as her twin, but she was slightly shorter. The girl had the same body type we've seen from all amazons, the same silver cuffs on her wrists that are usually used to deflect bullets. But she also had a silver cuff high on her bicep, and a black, haltered uniform. Unlike the star spangled briefs of Wonder Woman, this girl wore pants and silver boots. The black fabric moved with magic, like the cosmos were moving across the black.

"Hey, babe." Wally said, coming up to me in his swimsuit. It was forest green, like his eyes. I smiled and gave him a kiss.

"Who are the newbies?" I asked him as he received my bag from Artemis. He started walking me to the spot where he laid his towel that was roughly the large size of my towel.

"New proteges that the Leaguers want on the team to learn communication skills and coordinated missions and battles. Wonder Woman said it would be detrimental to teaching future Justice Leaguers." He said to me as I laid my towel next to his, not leaving a gap of sand between the two. I sat down on the towel and pulled out my phone to tell Alfred I was staying.

"So, new teammates means we don't all have to go on missions…" I told Wally, smiling and I gave him another kiss. But he stood up.

"I would say that's more date nights, but Bat's would just put you on patrol more often." He laughed, walking away. At first I thought I said something wrong, but he went and got us two large, heaping plates of burgers and hot dogs, fries and fruit. I also noticed that he had two sodas tucked between his arm and his side.

"Yes, more patrol, but that implied I'm in Gotham. As the team grows, maybe there's less of a need for us to be on it. We could take a break while we're in college…" I told him, pulling my sunglasses out of my bag.

"That's two years away. We don't have to worry about any of that for at least one of those years." He set down the plates and the drinks and pulled me into him, engulfing me in his large biceps as he kissed the side of my head. I couldn't help but giggle as he kissed my jawline before letting me go. He handed me my plate before he started eating. I just grabbed a burger and went to town. It had been so long since I had eaten something for fun, and not to keep myself from passing out. It tasted so good. I felt like the food tasted so much better, now that I was free from my own self destructing biology. I felt the need to close my eyes as I slowed down on my third burger, feeling the need to enjoy the taste more than the lasting feeling of food filling my stomach. I opened my eyes and Wally was laughing at me.

"I love you." He smiled, trying to stifle his laughter. I gained an embarrassed grin as I grabbed a grape of my plate and threw it at him.

"Don't laugh at me." I said, starting to laugh myself. He put his hands up in defeat and starting wolfing down what was probably his fifth burger. "You know, when you're done, you could introduce me to the new meat."

"Yeah, I could." He smile suspiciously, finishing his burger. "Or I could do this!" He scooped me up in a wicked fast manner, throwing me over his shoulder. It forced me to drop the burger in my hand as he ran, laughing excitedly as he ran. All the while, I was squealing and hitting his back and kicking in the air.

"Wally! Put me down!" I laughed, flailing as I did so. I could hear the others laughing as I fought Wally not wanting to get wet just yet.

"Never!" He laughed as he brought me towards the water, jumping far enough to land us in a four foot wave. I did my best to wriggle away from his and stand up in the water, feeling my wet wrap clinging to me.

"You suck." I told him, trying not to smile, as I started walking to shore, untying the wrap from behind my head so I could lay in out to dry on a rock. I felt slightly uncomfortable in just the swimsuit, but I took a deep breath as my eyes filled with mischief. " _KAMIKAZE!"_ I screamed as I sprinted for the water, jumping further than Wally had done before. Finding him in twelve foot water and landing right next to him, reaching out to dunk him under. I heard his laughter reverberate beneath the surface. Waves rolling above us I grabbed him and gave him a little underwater kiss before swimming up to breathe. The two of us both emerged, laughing. He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to shore to we could just barely stand. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close, kissing me in a fashion than we usually reserved for when I wasn't near my father. He may have been in swim trunks and dark sunglasses, but my father was still Batman, and he still didn't necessarily like me showing PDA with my boyfriend. He still saw me as daddy's little girl and such, therefore when we pulled apart, I noticed my father glaring at Wally.

"I think you're dad is secretly plotting to murder me." Wally laughed, also noticing my father's staring.

"More like secretly plotting to lock me away forever so his little girl never grows up." I joked, giving him a kiss on the cheek before swimming back to shore, walking out of the water to get something to drink from the cooler. I looked back and Wally was tailing me, getting a drink as well.

"I highly doubt your dad could ever keep me from you." He smiled, slipping my hand into his. I felt my face get warm, which made it get even warmer as I realized I was blushing. He started laughing.

"I may be Batman's daughter, but I suck at hiding my emotions from you." I told him, taking a sip from my bottle of water.

"Well, you used to be really good at it." He sighed. "But now I think you just really trust me, so when you lie to me, I know it's for a good reason. Like when you went off the grid to find Victoria." He told me, and I just looked at him.

"I know that wasn't the right thing to do, hiding that from you, but my father would have stopped me and told me that I'm not strong enough on my own to do something like that. He would have kept me out of the search." I assured him, beginning to lead him over to the others to start being social.

"I know, and honestly, even if you did tell me, I wouldn't have stopped you. I would have helped you." He smiled and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. He started to switch the roles, leading me to the new people. I ended up talking to Aquaman, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman, where they introduced the new additions to the Team. Aquaman had brought Tempest and Aquagirl to the table. Two more atlanteans that have advanced in sorcery even further than Aqualad, back when he decided to be a protege. Captain Marvel had brought Sergeant and Lieutenant Marvels. They were actually Billy Batson's school friends. I wasn't clear on the how or why, but his classmates Mary Bromfield and Freddy Freeman were imbued with the same power as he was from the wizard Shazam. Wonder Woman had brought along Troia, introducing her as Donna Troy. It was explained that Troia was created with a magic mirror, making a perfect and living reflection of Wonder Woman. It was disorienting to look at the two of them side by side. It was like seeing double, and not in a fun way.

After all the introductions were made, the sun had begun to set. I had run out to the water to swim with the girls while Wally went off to hang out with Conner and Dick. Kaldur seemed to only want to talk to Tula and Garth, probably because he doesn't see them often, being the leader of a surface dwelling Team of heroes and such. The girls and I had splashed, dunked, tackled, and thrown each other in the water, having such a fun time. Especially while we played a little bit of chicken. When it was finally dark outside, I returned to my towel, and sat out with Wally, drying off and leaning into him as we sat in the sand, watching intently as my father signaled Alfred, who came in on a boat, far out in the water. Everyone was sitting and watching, as the fireworks began to go off, one by one. Glittering across the sky, the colors flashed and changed while the sound rattled in our ears. I could hear Tula and Garth, telling Aqualad how beautiful the display was. I could see Rocket and Artemis sitting together, talking about their favorite kinds of fireworks. I could hear M'gann tell Conner she loved him, causing the clone to blush before kissing her and telling her the same. I could feel Wally hold me tighter.

"I never want this to end." I whispered to Wally, and he just kissed my ear, intently watching the fireworks.


	43. Blue Moo Cookie Dough

**Victoria Weylin**

 **Coast City**

 **September 5th, 2011**

I had honestly thought that people would have forgotten by now, but apparently they hadn't. I had gone to get coffee, bed head style, this morning with my little sister, and people were staring to the point where I was ready to scream at them to stop. But before I could, my little sister grabbed my hand, looking me in the eyes. Icy eyes met ocean, and I calmed down. My sister always seemed to be able to calm people down. She had a strange understanding of emotions and was good at swaying people, mostly to calm them down or make them happy. When we got home to the house, I had checked the mail, and there was a large envelope in the mail for me from a P.O. box.

"What's that?" My sister asked as she tucked her golden red hair behind her ear. I noticed she had changed out of her bedhead attire and put on a light blue sun dress with thin white sweater. Her feet were still bare and I was sure they were cold on the linoleum of the kitchen.

"Dunno, I have to open it first…" I trailed off, ripping open the top of the orange packet. A small stack of things fell out onto granite kitchen island with a little card on top, _from Sylvia and Dr. Palmer_. One by one I checked the items, telling Lenore what I received. "Alright, Lenny. We have… an information packet on the next stages of my treatment I started last week… a dietary list of things to help maintain a good caloric intake… a schedule of when I have to go in for checkups and office hours in case I experience any harmful side effects or get sick while being treated…" I stopped, getting to the last thing. It was a little white envelope and when I opened it, a shiny black credit card came out with a note taped to the back. _For expenses such as food, new clothes, school supplies, etc._

"Why is there a credit card?" Lenore asked, biting into her large cinnamon roll I got for her at the coffee shop.

"The people taking care of my treatment are apparently paying for all the food I'm going to have to eat, clothes since my weight will be fluctuating now and stuff. That kind of stuff." I told her before putting the card in my purse. When I looked in my wallet, it was weird seeing the driver's license. I finally got one the other day after a couple months of learning. Sylvia and her father pulled some strings with the DMV to expedite the process. They did that after they realized I would be spending most of the day with Lenore at my father's. My brother started college last week, so they new I needed to be able to take Lenore places, to and from school, and to get groceries and things while my dad works. This year, Lenore was going to be a freshmen, so it would be easier for my dad if I took her to school since the high school isn't on the way to the work for him like the middle school was.

"That's cool… so does that mean we can go shopping today? I know you don't have enough clothes for school, most of what you wear is mine… Sure, I'm alright with it, but it'd probably feel good for you to have some of your own things." Lenore spoke in such a way that I immediately knew she was right, while realizing she was convincing me to take her shopping since our father hasn't yet for back to school items. I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Fine, just let me borrow a dress for our high school orientation today, and we'll go shopping. For school supplies and clothes if you want to get some too." I told her, and her face lit up.

"Alright, I think I have a dress that'll fit you just fine." She told me before taking another big bite of her large cinnamon roll. I couldn't help but just enjoy the vision of my now fourteen year old sister, ready to take on the world with a frappachino and a new outfit.

* * *

 **A few hours later**

 **Coast High School**

I huffed as my sister and I walked out of the high school with our class schedules and supply lists. We could have gotten them online, but the two of us have had a busy summer. Mainly, it was worrying about the press seeing into our house while we're trying to keep the family privacy, especially while my family was trying to get used to the fact that I was still alive. In all honesty, Lenore and I had wished we skipped orientation. The whole time, I was getting stared at, avoided, and whispered about. They were calling me the dead girl. Lenore told me that her new classmates had figured out her last name and realized she was _that_ Lenore Weylin. The one with the dead sister who… _came back to life_.

The two of us trudged through the school campus, across the quad. Even faculty and staff of the high school stared at us. It was getting old quickly. The two of us made it to my new blue prius and climbed in. I made sure Lenore buckled up before I started the car. After peeling out of the little parking spot, I was quick to drive in the opposite direction of downtown, and make our way to the mall. It was so much easier to shop in the suburbs where there were less people to notice us, like the media, who was still looking for a statement from me and my family. At least they weren't as incessant on getting their story now that the entire summer has gone by and they've received nothing.

"Well, I'm glad we get to do something fun before school starts tomorrow." Lenore told me after a silent car ride. The two of us got out of the blue prius as I took a note out of Superman's book, putting on the fake glasses I had in my purse and pulling my hair back.

"Sister bonding." I smiled, walking with my sister to the front entrance of the mall. The second we were in the food court, I felt myself get weak. "Dude, I gotta eat." I told her, feeling the dizziness coming on.

"Sbarro, Smoothie King, Panda Express, Wendy's, Great Steak, Chipotle, Chick-fil-a…" Lenore read out the names of restaurants in the food court, and I just grabbed her arm and took her to the Wendy's. A few short minutes later, I walked away with a ten-piece chicken nugget, fries, a bacon cheeseburger, and a milkshake. Lenny just got an iced tea, burger and fries.

"Oh, thank god." I exclaimed as I sat down across from Lenore in a booth. I started wolfing down the food I got as Lenore just looked at me funny. "What?"

"Easy there on the nuggets, you don't want to choke." She laughed. I tried not to smile as I glared at her. With just the wiggle of my pointer finger, a piece of ice flew out of her cup and smacked her in the cheek. I laughed as I looked around, making sure no one saw. Lenore scoffed, tucking a loose strand of ginger hair behind her ear. She leaned in to whisper.

"Since when can you control ice?" She asked quietly. "I thought it was just water." She looked at me, straight in the eyes, ocean meeting ice.

"Nah, being a hydrokinetic like myself, anything liquid isn't a problem. I can control ice because it's water based, but I'm not advanced with it. It's been a lot of trial and error." I explained, before getting back to eating.

"That's actually pretty cool. If you're going to be hanging with those heroes, you could totally like, turn the water to ice and use it like a weapon, kinda like how that hero Aqualad makes swords and hammers out of water." Lenore took a sip of her iced tea before getting back to her burger.

"That'd be pretty cool if I could figure that out. There are other Atlanteans on the Team that can teach me better than her can. Their sorcery is more advanced. They know how to control the water better than Aqualad." I told her bore starting wolf down my burger. But it didn't take long to eat it.

"So, what kind of clothes do you want to get?" Lenore asked as I finished the burger and started on the fries, dipping them in my milkshake. I had think for a second on what she said to me. Then I remembered all the clothes that I had to wear while Vandal had me captive.

"I don't really want a lot of white, I've had to wear that every day for about four years. Maybe some things, but I want a lot of dark colors, maybe some vibrant ones too. Idk, I just really want color." I admitted before drinking my milkshake finally. Lenore looked at me, and I could just see the gears turning behind those icy blue eyes. We were silent for a minute, and I could tell she was still thinking about what I told her.

"I think I know the right stores for us to go to." Lenore smiled finishing her food and tea. I had just finished my milkshake.

"Okay, let me just get one of those mango smoothies from Smoothie King before we go. Do you want one?" I asked her, and she just laughed.

"Maybe later, but I'm good for now." Lenore smiled and waited with me while I bought a large mango smoothie. Then, as I was drinking away, my younger sister was holding my free hand, leading me to the first store. Inside the Urban Outfitters, I saw a lot of clothing that Savage wouldn't have ever let me wear, and I was in love. I wasn't really paying attention as Lenore dragged me around the store, picking out clothes, holding some for herself and handing more to me, knowing I didn't have anything since the whole world thought I was dead. I couldn't just borrow Lenore's clothes forever. The only thing I had to tell her was stick to dresses and loose or stretchy shirts at this store since I was about to drop in size due to my treatment.

"Lenny, why do you like unfitted dresses so much?" I asked as I walked out. She was grinning from ear to ear. I was wearing the seventh loose dress. This one was sleeveless and navy blue with thin white stripes.

"You look adorable. Just keep trying these dresses on. They're perfect to hide your soon to be bony figure and you can still wear them when you gain weight back, just like you said you needed." She explained. I groaned and agreed with her, starting to like the dresses. After an awkward swipe of the shiny black credit card, we both had separate large bags of clothes. I had mainly dresses and tops, but she convinced me to get fabric shorts, bralettes, and patterned socks and tights. I honestly had never seen tights with patterns, knit styles, or pairs with holes ripped into them on purpose, nor had I even heard of a bralette before this day. The day went on, card swipe after swipe, buying makeup, nail polish, jeans and belts for when I get skinnier, shoes, leggings, workout clothes, a backpack for school, more food, undergarments, jackets, sweaters, accessories, etc. We got enough clothes to give me a wardrobe and enough for Lenore to replace a third of her closet. I was happy to have made it through the day at the mall without people staring. But on the way out, I saw a little store specific to hair products. I kept staring into the store when Lenore noticed.

"Tori, do you want to go in there?" She asked, knowing what I was thinking.

"There's something I want to do." I told her before walking up to the shop. I realized my arms were full of shopping backs, so I handed a few off to my sister, who had less than me, so I could grab a basket. I immediately went to the wall of hair dye. I found the temporary die. I quickly read the boxes, finding the ones that would last around two weeks after each application. I put a bunch of colors in the basket and bought them.

"That's a lot of hair dye." Lenny commented after we were leaving the store. We were off to get our school supplies before going home

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **The Cave**

 **A Few Hours Later**

I was hanging out with Wally in the cave when I Tori texted me that she was stopping by. She told me she went shopping, so I was curious what she was going to look like. I was sitting in the kitchen, eating oreos dipped in peanut butter while Wally stuffed his face with a double decker sandwich that he made while I had been inhaling a carton of grapes. Every so often I would feed him a peanut butter covered oreo, and every time I did that, he would give me a kiss and give me a bite of his crazy delicious double decker. Right around the time we finished our food, we heard the Cave computer announce Tori's arrival via zeta tube. The two of us got up from the stools at the counter and walked over to the mission room. When I saw Tori, I almost couldn't believe it.

"Oh wow." I told her, completely shocked.

"You like it?" She asked, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I love it." I told her. She had walked into the cave wearing a black trapeze dress with a hooded army green jacket that was just as long as the dress. The green sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, showing a black leather bracelet that wrapped around her wrist a few times. Around her neck was a black leather choker with little silver studs every centimeter of leather. On her feet were combat boots with wooden soles and smooth silver studs that covered the toe of both boots. Her makeup was dark with smokey eyes and dark lips. Her hair was wildly curly, as it always was, but her blonde hair was dyed an extremely vibrant shade of light blue.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi! Hope you all are liking the story, and don't forget to please _review_ !**


	44. Devil May Care

**Hi guys! Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been walking dogs, doing varsity volleyball, and getting ready for school to start this Friday. Stupid, right? Because of Labor day, we'll have the first day of school, and then a three day weekend. Sure, cool, not an immediate submersion into my senior year. BUT, I still think it's a little stupid. Anyway, back to the update!**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**

* * *

 **Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **October 31, 2011**

I had a long day at school, three sets of tests and one set of presentations. I had to grade tests for three different classes, as well as judge and grade in-class presentations because the teacher was out sick, requiring a substitute to simply watch over the class and ensure behavior. But as the usual secondary to the teacher and my hereditary glare from my father, I had more control over the class than the sub did, so she just painted her nails and surfed the internet. There were Birthday Wishes, and the girl and I had celebrated my halloween birthday early the saturday before. As far as monday birthdays go, this one was stressful, so as soon as school ended, I trudged to my car and plopped down into the driver's seat. I waited for Dick to come out so I can take us home, but I suddenly received a text saying he didn't need a ride home. So, I just peeled out of my parking spot and drove home by myself.

When I got home, I slowly made my way to my room, absolutely tired. I had to finish grading the tests, so instead of taking a nap before the Team's halloween festivities, I sat down at my desk and pulled out the tests with the corresponding answer keys. Then, I pulled out the two stacks of tests I hadn't finished grading during the class period. I picked where I left off on in my three tests at a time strategy. It was almost all multiple choice, so I just had the answer key next to the three tests, grading three tests at the same time was the most efficient for me. After almost two hours, I finished all of the tests and started to pull out my costume for the dance we were all invited to by M'gann. The Happy Harbor High School dance they had every Halloween. Last year, I didn't get to go because I was on patrol, but my father decided that after the year I had, I could have my birthday off. Even Dick was allowed to go. Our father simply had to call in a Justice Leaguer or two to help instead of us. I assumed it was Flash, Black Canary, Green Arrow, or Superman, as they were usually who he called in when he wanted help in Gotham. Black Canary and Green Arrow understood the needs of discretion already, but Superman and Flash were also good detectives, and were helpful in conjecture and extremely adept at apprehending the bad guys when my father made the call. He used to ask Wonder Woman, but she started getting busier with Themiscyra, political meetings with the U.N. and the U.S. government, and threats in D.C. that require her attention.

I walked to my closet and grabbed my halloween costume to put on, removing my school uniform. I pulled on the skin tight, shiny red body suit, bending the tail attached to the rear to curve to the side so people could see the pointed red devil's tail from the front, coming out past my right leg. I stepped into the red high heels and went to the bathroom, putting on black, smokey eyes and red lipstick. When I was finished, I ran the straightener over my raven black hair before putting on the red headband with devil horns. I felt so happy, back to my original weight before I was even kidnapped by Savage. I double checked my blood red nail polish to make sure it wasn't chipped before I grabbed my holo bracelet and pushed it on my wrist so I wouldn't have to bring my cell phone. When I was sure I didn't need to do anything else, I grabbed my red pitchfork and went down stairs and made my way down to the study, approaching the grandfather clock on the far wall. I changed the time on the clockface to _10:47_ , causing the bookcase to swing open and let me into the express elevator to take me down to the Bat cave.

I was quite, going to the computer and setting the destination for the main Zeta Tubes in Mount Justice. With a yawn, I activated the Zeta tube, holding still enough for it to scan my biometrics so I could teleport. I was not in the mood for this dance, but with a yawn, I walked through the tube anyway, bathing in the golden light, and walking out the other side into the Cave's mission room. But, I didn't see anyone. As I walked toward the kitchen, I listened carefully, only hearing someone shush someone else. I could hear multiple heart beats, all of them in the kitchen.

"Thgil eht seldnac!" I heard a hushed spell. They were probably all getting ready or trying to scare someone if they were being quiet. I know Wally likes to scare people, especially on Halloween. I just wanted to get this dance over with. Before I made it to the kitchen, I remembered to shift, my incisors extending to sharp fangs on the top and bottom of my mouth. I wanted to at least look more devilish that the usual female costume allows for. I yawned as I approached the kitchen, expecting Zatanna to be using magic or M'gann to be feeding others cookies while people put the finished touches on their costumes.

"Surprise!" I heard people yell. My eyes went wide as stumbled. Around the room were Superboy, M'gann, Robin, Wally, Tori, Rocket, Zatanna, Kaldur, Artemis, Troia, Tula, Garth, Mary, Freddie and Billy. The lights were dimmed and they were all standing around a cake iced to look like a carved pumpkin with seventeen lit candles around the cake.

"Aw, you guys didn't have to." I couldn't help but smile as they began to sing _Happy Birthday_. I walked forward slowly, noticing that Wally was using the camera I bought for him nearly a year ago for his own birthday.

"Make a wish!" M'gann told me excitedly as she held the cake closer to me.

 _I wish I could forget all the horrible things_. I thought to myself before taking a deep breath and blowing out the candles. I somehow managed not to miss a single one.

"So, what'd you wish for?" Billy asked, smiling largely in his firefighter costume. I returned the expression.

"To dig into this cake." I lied, pulling out a candle and licking the icing off the bottom. Everyone laughed and M'gann set the cake down on the table. I helped take the rest of the candles out of the cake as the martian grabbed a knife to cut the cake. I felt arms wrap around me as I looked over my shoulder to see Wally. He was in a white button down and white jeans with a halo sitting in his fiery red hair. I gave him a big kiss before M'gann handed me a paper plate with a slice of cake on it. I found it was my favorite flavor of cake. Yellow and Chocolate cake marbled together.

"Happy Birthday, Princess." He whispered in my ear as he took a bite of his three slices that M'gann gave him.

"Thanks, Babe." I gave him another kiss before inhaling the delicious cake. "M'gann, did you make this?" I asked the green girl, who oddly enough, was dressed as an alien with face silver antennae with little silver balls on the end. She left her skin green, but her lips were bright blue and her eyeshadow was a vibrant purple. In the place of blush was silver makeup, contouring her cheekbones. She wore a silver dress with silver knee high boots. It almost made me jealous that she could just morph into whatever she wanted, she always looked awesome.

"Yeah! It took a few tries to get the marbling right." She explained, Superboy beginning to laugh.

"Yeah, I ate the deliciously amazing _failings_." He was laughing at M'gann. I knew full well that she never failed when making food, well, except when she burns things. But that usually doesn't happen anymore. Superboy was dressed in a surprisingly well fitted astronaut suit. I saw her give him a little kiss as felt someone hug me from behind.

"Happy Birthday, Girl!" I recognized the voice of Rocket. I turned to see her and Artemis, Rocket dressed like a cat. Her costume was much like mine, but black, the tail wasn't pointed, and in the place of horns, she wore black cat ears. Her face was even painted to have the nose, upper lip, and whiskers of a cat. Artemis was dressed as a witch with a hat and black dress that was shredded at her mid thigh.

"Thank you!" I told them happily as I saw Aqualad approach, dressed as a pirate. My thinking was that he wore it cause the shirt collar would cover his gills. He gave me a quick smile before whispering something in Artemis's ear, causing her to giggle and walk away with him. I looked right at Rocket. "When did that happen?" I asked her quietly, and Rocket just laughed.

"They went on a date a few days ago and judging from that, it went well." Rocket laughed, speaking in a low tone so as not to alert anyone. I just grinned and nodded in understanding. After giving Artemis a discreet thumbs up of approval, I went to find Tori. Her hair was a pastel purple today, going well with her skeleton costume and face paint.

"Happy Birthday, Sylvia." She spoke quietly so no one would hear her using my secret I.D. She's been training lately with Black Canary, so on top of the weight loss, she was gaining some back in some very toned muscles.

"Thanks, I'm digging the hair." I told her, reaching out and touching a piece. Her lavender curls were like silk in my fingertips. "How do you get it to stay so soft?" I asked and she just smiled.

"Well, since I don't have to bleach it, it stays pretty healthy. Plus, once a week I soak it in avocado oil mixed with coconut oil." She explained, touching her own hair. Her curls were wild and voluminous, even more so now that she had the proper means to take care of it and she didn't have to straighten it when Savage preferred. I only saw it straight a few times in captivity, but she told me Savage had her straighten it every day until I arrived. She even admitted once that he made her dye her hair black. When I told Canary about that detail, she told me that Savage had a fixation with me that he tried to satisfy with Victoria until he could obtain me for himself.

"Alright, well it's time for us to go trick or treating if you guys want to head out to your dance." Billy told us, the eleven year olds dressed as various superheroes on the League. He was dressed as Superman while Freddie was dressed as a Green Lantern and Mary dressed as Wonder Woman, but with a skirt instead of briefs. When they Zeta-ed away, we all left the Cave and walked together to the School.

* * *

 **An Hour Later**

Wally and I were dancing together, just as we did a lot now. Usually, we would be at one of each other's houses, cooking to music when we would break out dancing. Or, dancing was the intention and all the furniture in his living room would be pushed back against the wall or we would be all over the ball room in the East Wing of the Manor. The two of us were just cutting loose, as we loved to do. We danced the night away, even getting Troia to dance instead of being the stone statue of poise and power that she normally was. Kaldur did his best to get Garth and Tula dancing before going to Artemis. The two of them were really hitting off, and I had been waiting for the two of them to get together since before Wally and I got together.

The happiness soon ended when I got a message from my father. Dick and I were needed back at the Manor. So I gave Wally one last kiss before heading over to grab Dick, who was dressed as a magician. Probably to humor Zatanna. The two of us left and went back to the cave to Zeta home to the Batcave. When we arrived, we took the express elevator up to get from the Batcave to the Study. I could hear movement in the kitchen, so I led Dick to our father and Alfred. But when we entered the kitchen, there was a third person. A small boy about the size Dick was last year, but my brother had grown to be taller than Wally this year by an inch or two, so he was sizably larger than this boy. This boy shared raven black hair with us, slightly longer than Dick's. This boy even had blue eyes, like Dick, and sharp cheekbones like my father and I. This kid, he seemed like a cross between my brother and I, but he didn't have the muscle definition, the cold, calculating look that we have perfected over the years, nor the confusion that my brother and I shared as we looked at this guest in our home.

"Sylvia, Dick," my father stepped up behind the boy, putting his hand on his shoulder, "this is Jason Todd, my new ward and the newest addition to our Family."

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 **A/N: Hey guys! Just a reminder to please _review_ . **


	45. Merry Christmas

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Wayne Manor**

 **December 25th, 2011**

It was the annual Wayne Foundation Christmas Ball. There was a fresh coating of snow outside, and we had started the day with a little family Christmas. Jason seemed like he didn't like the holiday, but when Alfred and I made a big Christmas breakfast, he drifted into the kitchen, smelling the cinnamon french toast, bacon, the little cinnamon rolls, the eggs, everything, the look on his face was priceless. He had been dreading the family holiday the entire week before, and when it finally came, he finally seemed to feel like we were his new family. He had been so distant, barely talking to us and aggressively training with Bruce. But today, I was realizing this kid my father took in from the street, felt like he was having a real Christmas with a real family for the first time in a long time.

They day had crept by as we all waited to get ready for the ball. There were workers all around the house, maids to make sure the place was pristine and in order, caterers preparing the food and setting up the massive and elaborate dining room, well, more like a dining _hall_ , that we rarely ever used. Because I wasn't here for this event last year while in the clutches of a fifty thousand year old being, my father hired someone to get me ready for the event. I had to look perfect, especially in the events that have occurred in the last two years. I had gone missing, I had baffles the Gotham tabloids with my extreme weight loss and sickly appearance, the Weylin Case had been re-opened, causing some to look back at my case from when I was younger. My father didn't want anyone to have any reason to question my health. Just two days ago, I had to stand and let someone give me a spray tan that matched my skin color in order to cover up all of my scarring.

I was the first one to get pulled away for getting ready. Jason and Dick joked about how I was getting carted off to torture. They were only half right, when I would have to hold still and be plucked, poked, and groomed for an hour, maybe two, before having to put on my dress. The woman preparing me washed and dried my raven black hair before parting it in the middle, taking a curling iron to the black strands. When my hair was finished, my hair flowed into natural curls, the top straight and perfect before getting curlier towards the bottom. I tucked the front strands behind my ears as the woman started putting makeup on me, using a contouring palette first to accentuate my already prominent cheekbones. She gave me nude colored lips and natural eyeshadow before giving me thin eyeliner and mascara. I had to sit for a bit with my eyes closed as she put fake lashes on me that made me feel very uncomfortable, but I sat through it. When I could open my eyes, I felt that I didn't look like myself. I looked like my mother. I looked like someone else. She even painted my nails, giving them french tips.

The woman had me step into a pair of nude heels as she put small pearl earrings in my ears. She pulled out my dress and helped me out of the robe I was wearing. The dress was champagne colored, the light gold fabric shimmering in the light. It was halter, coming up to my collar bones, hooking behind my neck and leaving my shoulder blades bare. The glittering fabric was fitted around my torso before flowing freely, shining like beams of early morning sunlight. This was the moment where I started to be jealous of my reflection. The woman staring back at me was not the girl that entered this bedroom. But she was who I had to be when I walked out. This was a moment where I wished I was like Tori, free to no longer care about what people had to say. I wished I could dye my hair, not be expected to do everything exactly how everyone else wanted, not be scrutinized and kept under watchful eye.

But I took a breath, thanked the woman who prepared me, and walked out of the room. The clicking of my high heels reverberated on the marble flooring as I walked down the hall before descending upon the stairs that curved slightly into the large foyer of the manor. At the bottom of the stairs awaited my family, who started their preparation after me and finished before. My father saw me immediately, smiling as his little girl carefully descended in her six inch heels that were surprisingly comfortable. Jason was staring at the door as cars began to pull up into the driveway to the hired valet service. Dick smiled, making me feel like a little sister, more like a big sister, which was pretty accurate considering the newfound size difference. My brother elbowed Jason in the arm, and he turned to face me. This was where I realized that the three of them were were donning the christmas spirit. My father had a bowtie with his black tux that looked like a candy cane with a thin stripe of green pervading the white. Dick had a suit on, his vest shiney red and his tie green with little red santas driving slays of reindeer. Jason, I hadn't seen him so dressed up before. He wore a tie printed with christmas trees and ornaments and stockings, and a look that I had never seen come from him either. He looked at me in awe as I made it to the last step and walked right up to my father, hugging him tightly, but cautiously, careful not to mess up the woman's masterpiece that was my hair and makeup.

"Shall we meet our guests?" My father suggested with a sigh. He enjoyed this functions about as much as we did. Putting on the phony voice and stooping down to the menial and domestic conversations of the Gotham Elite. It was very rare that the people we had to talk to in order to keep up with appearances. I didn't want to do any of this, and neither did my family. But as a Wayne, is what we have to do, pay for the big fat spread to feed the Wayne Foundation out of the pockets of those around us with the Societal guilt that they should be _helping_ in a way bigger than themselves, and that was contributing to the foundation. I walked side by side with my father, Jason and Dick following closely behind us.

At first, I was quiet, just smiling and nodding in conversations that my father held. But then, I noticed two people in conversation that I hadn't even expected. Ted Kord and Oliver Queen. Then like it was just so normal, Clark Kent, notorious reporter from the Daily Planet in Metropolis, approached the two of them, recorder in hand. He just was so nonchalant, interviewing a fellow Leaguer and someone with similar intentions to Wayne Enterprises. Ted Kord had Kord Industries and did very well in the R & D departments, just like Wayne Tech. So when I approached them, I had to do my best not to laugh.

"Oliver Queen," I greeted, shaking his hand. "Ted Kord," I smiled, shaking his hand as well. "It's an honor to welcome you to the Wayne Foundation Christmas ball, and Merry Christmas I might add." I smiled, welcoming them. Oliver was having trouble holding back a smirk, he knew how much I hated these things and how fake I felt. Roy and I used to be event buddies, whenever we were at the same one, we'd hide at a table in the corner, hoard deserts, and play dots-to-dots, tic-tac-toe, and m.a.s.h. on napkins, even when we were little before I was a hero and he was the new Ward of Oliver Queen. I missed having him as my best friend.

"It's nice to see you again, Sylvia." Oliver smiled. I could tell he missed having Roy as he partner in crime at these things too.

"And Clark Kent," I turned to the kryptonian hiding behind thick framed glasses. I shook his hand quickly. "Glad to have someone from the Daily planet here. If you would like, I could run through the goals of tonight and the Foundations aims for the future, or I could introduce you to the guests of your choice if you'd like to talk to them about whatever stories that you and your colleagues at the Planet are pursuing?" I offered, and he seemed very happy with my behavior. He was often wary around me, ready to intervene if I ever had another incident. What I didn to Superboy was horrible and Superman was the only one who could stop me in time.

"Well, Ms. Wayne, I'll find you later for the information on the Wayne Foundation, but right now, I'm actually looking for your father." He was polite and playing into his cover instead of using his x-ray vision to find my father in the house.

"Well, he's currently back in the foyer, greeting guests. Would you like me to take you there?" I kept up the politeness, thinking it would be a lot easier than hiding in my room and ignoring the guests to my father's dismay.

"No, I think I can find the foyer. But thank you." He was so polite to me in return that everything felt fake. This is why I hated events like this. When you're something like me, this kind of stuff isn't natural. When he walked away, I excused myself from Ted and Oliver, wandering around the ball until I got to the large dining room. I naturally passed the normal food and skipped right to the desert. One of the caterers served me ice cream and slices of the key lime pie, pumpkin pie, and apple pie, and cheesecake. I grabbed three forks and headed for the table in the far corner where I found Dick talking to Jason, trying to make him feel more comfortable in this new situation.

"Hey, Sylvia." Dick greeted me, but Jason was silent and staring at the table. I could tell he was irritated.

"Hey, I come bearing deserts." I smiled, setting the large plate down and handing them their forks. Jason's face lit up like it did this morning, and he immediately started to eat the pie and cheesecake. I started on the ice cream, mixing it with my bites of pie first.

"So, I was thinking," Dick started, "maybe after everyone leaves, we could raid the leftovers and watch some movies." He looked at the two of us and he knew I was always down with movie nights, but Jason started to look even happier. We just wanted to make this kid, the kid my father found stealing the tires off the Bat-mobile in a dirty alley way, feel like he had a place with us. We wanted him to know that we were his family now, and that he'd always have a home here.

We sat there, picking at the pie, talking about what movies to watch, I caught a glimpse of something. There was someone in the crowd with striking red hair, and looked about my age. I started to get excited, thinking maybe my event partner in crime had finally showed up. I bolted from my seat and marched across the room in my high heels, searching for the redhead. I even pushed through some people that called out at me, telling me to watch where I was going. I wanted to see my friend. He had been crushed when he found out he was a clone, and he wouldn't talk to anyone unless it was about his crazy search for the original Roy. I wanted to find him and just give him a hug, but with all my school work, Jason, training the new members of the team, and patrol, I can't do anything. The only time I've been able to see Wally has been when he comes to help me on patrol, when he comes to hang out with Dick, and when he and I sneak into each other's houses to sleep. It's hard to sleep without him. The nightmares got worse when we found Tori, and they got worse when I stopped the treatment. So when I found the redhead and saw their face, my heart melted in sadness.

"Roy." I said, seeing the Archer was something else. He turned to me and I saw the bags under his eyes despite his attempts to cover them up with concealer. I looked into those clear blue eyes and he looked back into my green, and I was overwhelmed with guilt and sadness.

"I'm sorry I haven't been arou-" He was trying to apologize, but I cut him off with a very forgiving hug. I had missed my friend. He had been so caught up with trying to get us to be treated fairly and to protect us from the possible mole, that he drifted so far, and I just missed him.

"You don't need to apologize." I told him softly, holding my friend close. He and Dick were almost the same height now, so I felt dwarfed. Dick was just a couple inches shy of Roy's height.

"I've missed you." He said in a low tone. I was still in a tight embrace with him, but soon let go.

"I've missed you, too." I returned the feeling, and he just grabbed my hand.

"Come on, there's been something I've wanted to do all night." He lead me into the ballroom, where the band was playing some good up-tempo music. He twirled me around, and we started dancing, just like we used to. Except back then, he had to share me with Dick, but my brother was otherwise occupied with making Jason more comfortable. After a few songs he stopped.

"What's wrong?" I looked up at him, believing that maybe he was finally having fun, despite his search for the source of his DNA. But apparently, I was wrong.

"I feel guilty. I should be out there, looking for him. He's the real Roy Harper." He finally explained, Roy looked away from me and I just sighed again.

"No, you're just as real as he is. None of us knew him before you were Roy Harper. You're the realest thing we've ever known. When his life was put on pause, yours began, and you have been making your own choices from day one, all the way up until the end when they took advantage of you. So yes, look for him. But take time to live the life you deserve. You are one of my best friends, so trust me when I say I know _you_ better than most. So believe me when I say this, you are one of the realest things in my life, and that's saying a lot considering my track record. So dance tonight, and keep searching tomorrow. But don't forget that you are living _your_ life, not his."

* * *

 **A/N: Hi! I hope you all liked the chapter and just a friendly reminder, please _review!_**

 **-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	46. New Beginnings

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **April 14th, 2012**

It was the first Saturday in a long time that I woke up at a decent hour. For a while, I've been on the Friday night Patrols, unable to even get into bed until six o'clock in the morning the next day. So when I woke up, with Wally next to me, his chest rising and falling peacefully, I just laid there and watched him sleep. His red hair had grown a bit longer and a bit more unruly. My hand reached out and started to run and twirl my fingers through his hair. I looked at his serene face on the pillow next to mine and noticed that his faint freckles on his cheeks and nose were disappearing, making him look more and more mature. He started to stir, and his deep breaths became shorter and shorter with time. He made a faint moan, as he did most mornings, signaling he was really waking up. I just grabbed his warm body and pulled myself into him, curling up and wrapping my bare legs around his waist as I snuggled into him. I heard him exhale lightly before his head bent down and his lips kissed the top of my head and his arms wrapped around me. It was a nice and warm sensation, laying against his bare torso. The moment ended when I heard his stomach rumble. With a giggle, I pulled away and gave him a kiss.

"Good Morning, beautiful." He told me quietly, and I just blushed, rolling over and out of the bed.

"Good Morning, babe." I told him back as I passed my mirror, remembering that I went to bed in Wally's T-shirt and my underwear. He climbed out of the bed in just his pajama pants. I went into my closet and grabbed a t-shirt and jeans of his that we've decided to leave here for mornings like these. There was a couple drawers in my closet that had his clothes and a pair of two of shoes. I had the same kind of set-up in his closet. This had become a regular thing, and so far, my father hasn't noticed. Alfred has been covering on nights that I sleep at Wally's and when Wally sleeps here, it's played off as a sleepover with Dick, which isn't far from the truth since the three of us all hang out together anyway.

He pulled on his clothes and I grabbed a button down and shorts, putting them on before the two of us brushed out teeth and went downstairs. We walked hand in hand to Dick's room to get him so we could all go get breakfast together so as not to arise suspicion. When I opened the door to my brother's room, he was pulling on a fresh shirt. He walked out of his room in a t shirt and jeans, similar to Wally. But for once, Dick was taller than his best friend. Not by too much, but my brother was chilling at a happy medium between Wally's and Roy's height. The three of us exchanged _good mornings_ as we all descended the stairs to get to the kitchen. My mouth began to water as I smelled waffles, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and fresh cut fruit. But the most compelling scent was the coffee. The three of us sat down and Alfred served us. My father was sitting at the head of the table with a newspaper and a coffee in each hand. The food before him was nearly completely untouched, aside from the bite in his omelet. I smelled de-caf being poured into Dick's cup.

"Alfred, please tell me you're not switching me to de-caf too?" I half pleaded, my addiction to coffee was well known in both of my identities. Even Savage gave me coffee to keep me happy. There have even been sightings of me in full costume getting coffee to chug between take-downs on patrol.

"No, Master Sylvia." He sighed. "Now that would be child abuse." He let off a little smirk and poured a different pot of coffee in my cup. I smiled and took a sip of the warm goodness before digging into my waffles, first drizzling them with syrup and melted butter. I looked over and smirked at Wally, who had four times the amount of food we had, piled onto his plate. Then, a bleary eyed Jason came in, dressed in a flannel and khaki cargo shorts. He went and started eating next to me, not even acknowledging us. But we all forgave him, knowing that he was to tired in the mornings to function until he had food and coffee. Now that he was shadowing us as aerial surveillance on patrols, he was up late too. Usually, he wears an all black sort of urban ninja costume, but tonight was the night we were passing the mantle. Tonight was the night that Robin would evolve and Nightwing would be born. My baby brother was all grown up, and the newest addition was finally joining the party. So we all sat happily at this breakfast, with little conversations about excitement and plans for this week. By the time we had all finished our food, all of the comms went off. A hostage situation in city hall that included the mayor and the city council.

"Time to suit up, you ready?" My father asked as we all got up, Alfred clearing the table in a hastened fashion.

"Wally and I can go in, a speedster may come in handy." I told my father as he checked his work phone.

"Good, because apparently I need you two and Dick to suit up with Jason. There are a few board members who were meeting with a judge about building permits for the foundation's expansions. Long story short, the rest of the company is in a panic. I will be on surveillance and standby while the four of you handle the situation. I will only come in if you need me. Do I make myself clear?" He looked at us expectantly, and I nodded, rushing to the study. I changed the grandfather clock to _10:47_ and watched as it slid open, the four of us piling into the express elevator.

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter guys, but just wait till the next one! (also sorry about taking so long to update, senior year is... _distracting_...) **

**-thegirlwhoisstillwaiting**


	47. Testing-1-2-3

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **August 10th, 2012**

It was an art heist, and Riddler was at the helm of the operation. There were men all over the museum hauling pieces around into crates before loading them into the truck. Robin and I were up on the roof, looking down through the skylight. Batman and Nightwing were on their way, but it didn't seem like they were going to make it in time for the take down. Robin and I had that covered. Riddler was muttering little riddles and confusing poems to his men, wondering if any of them would be able to answer. I heard him laugh as none of his dimwitted henchmen could get a single riddle right. I looked to Robin and gave him the go-ahead. He nodded and jumped right through the skylight, smashing the glass before descending. He was hooting and hollering excitedly as he fell. Riddler was about as confused about the intrusion as the men had been about the riddles.

"You guys having a party?" Robin landed on one henchman before jumping to take out two more at once. He turned and threw marbles at Riddler, forcing him to fall as I landed next to Robin. "I guess our invite got lost." He smirked as the two of us stood before the fallen villain.

"It's over, Riddler." I told the villain as he got up. I punched out another henchman as Riddler backed up to the center of the room. He brandished his staff and took up a fighting stance. Another henchman stood between us and Riddler, firing his crossbow. The two of us dodged the arrows and Robin catapulted into the air. One henchman tried to catch Robin with a rope around his ankle, but the boy instinctively cut the cord with a batarang before continuing through the air as I took down the attacker. He landed in front of the Riddler at the top of the stairs.

"Riddle me this. What's green and purple, but covered in red and yellow?" Robin asked him, blocking the man's way out. The Riddler swung his staff at Robin, but it was deflected with a measly swipe with a batarang. Robin dropped and did a handstand, kicking Riddler in his manhood. The villain fell back and tumbled down the stairs as I took down another one of his men. Robin jumped from the top of the stairs and landed on the Riddler, kicking him in the face in the process. "You, when I land on your sorry ass." I couldn't help but laugh as I came over with the handcuffs. We could see the police lights outside the windows.

"Nice job, little dude." I smiled, giving my new little brother a fist bump and cuffed the Riddler. When the cops came, it was time to go onto the next job. This one, we were with Batman. Nightwing had to go to Bludhaven to stop an armed robbery. Us on the other hand, we were busting a drug dealer/pimp that just seemed to keep popping up on our radar. Robin busted in too early, and the man caught him. I could see the anger in the boy's face.

"Don't move or I'll-" The man ordered Robin, but the boy wonder interrupted him.

"You'll what? Shoot me?" He taunted the man in a gruff voice before tackling him through the door into the next room. The drug dealer's partner was standing at a table, counting cash with another dude who was loading ammo into guns. They both immediately began to fire machine guns. Batman put an arm in front of me, telling me to hang back as Robin dodged the gunfire and rolled towards the men. I was starting to realize that this was a test for him. So far, he was passing.

He jumped out of the roll and punched the first shooter in the face before jumping actually into the air and giving him two harsh kicks to the jaw. The man dropped back onto the table right before Robin dodged the shotgun fire from the second shooter, throwing two batarangs at the man that activated and electrocuted him. Robin jumped and slammed both feet into the man's chest, sending him into the wall before the man passed out. Robin grabbed the man on the table's jaw, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Twenty rounds a second and you were still too slow." Robin laughed as Batman and I came out of hiding.

"I'm not slow, punk!" Another man came out of the kitchen and whipped out a hand gun, firing at Robin. The boy dodged the shots with ease.

"Me neither." He quipped.

"I got him." Batman claimed the attack and threw a batarang, knocking the gun out of the man's hands. But, Robin continued and sailed through the air, landing a hard elbow on the man's shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain as he fell. I had heard the crack of his collarbone and knew it was nothing good.

"Robin!" Batman yelled at the protege, but he remained silent. When the cops came and took the men away, we returned to the Batcave, Jason just leaning against the Batmobile with his mask off. My father approached him and pulled off his own cowl. With just a glare, Jason knew what my father was thinking.

"I had to take him down!" Robin barked. But Bruce was infuriated.

"You shattered his collarbone!" My father bellowed, looking down upon the boy.

"He's a drug dealing pimp, I didn't think I had to prop up some pillows before I took him out!" Robin defended himself, but I knew it was futile. I put a hand on my father's shoulder and stepped between the two.

"We needed him." I told my little brother in a harsh tone, each word biting the air. "He would have talked, but you put him into shock." Jason's angry expression relaxed into guilt. He looked at my father with embarrassed eyes.

"Sorry, that was dumb." He apologized before looking away. "But he deserved it." Jason snapped under his breath. He walked off and took the express elevator up without a work. My father and I shared a look before going off to change out of our uniforms.


	48. Madman

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **December 1st, 2012**

I was supposed to be heading out to go Christmas shopping, and Jason was supposed to be with some kid from school, going to some birthday party. But I got an encrypted message that was somehow sent straight to my private server on my holocomputer. _If you ever want to see Robin again, come to Gotham City Park, under the gazebo. Come alone or he dies._ I began to panic. Without a word, I ran downstairs to the study and went straight down to the Batcave. I made sure no one noticed my exit, or they would probably kill my brother. I dropped all my clothes and suited up, pulling my hair into a ponytail and pulling my cowl over my head. I got right on my motorcycle and rode through the tunnel to get above ground.

I could feel my heart racing as I rode straight for the park downtown. It was still sunny out, so I felt weird riding around Gotham. Usually in this city, I'm donning the costume at night for patrol. Naturally, people on the street were taking pictures of their famed Wildcat as she rode through the city. I didn't even stop the bike at the edge of the park, I rode right through the grass, dodging people as I rode to the large gazebo. I didn't see anyone, but I ditched the bike behind a tree anyway. I ran for the gazebo, the only problem was, I was distracted by my panic. I didn't see the figure looming behind one of the wooden pillars. Just like that, I was hit in the side of the head with a crowbar. Lights out.

* * *

 **A few hours later**

When I opened my eyes, my ears were ringing, and my arms were outstretched. I began to panic even more when I heard the familiar voice. The lights flipped on and I saw them. Jason was tied up in a chair, his cape missing, boots and gloves tossed aside, but he still donned his domino mask. The man behind him, with his hands resting on Jason's shoulders, was the Joker. His purple suit was slightly wrinkled and his knuckles were bruised slightly, just like the corner of Jason's mouth were his lip was split and bleeding. I looked around and saw that we were in a warehouse, and I was strung up with each hand chained, my arms stretched apart and my feet barely touching the ground. The more I thought about it, the more my shoulders hurt.

"I'm so glad you could join the party, darling. You know, I've been waiting to see that sweet face for a long time. And those green eyes? Like little emeralds!" The Joker approached me, stroking my cheek and gripping my jaw. "I've been wanting to see you since our last encounter. We've had some fun encounters, me stabbing you, you clawing me, me attacking you, you trying to fight back but I had Scarecrow with me…" He trailed off, but I spat in his face. He smacked me before grabbing my jaw once again.

"You can go fu-" I tried to tell him off, but he punched me this time. My face stung, and I could already feel my left eye swelling up.

"Stop! Leaver her alone!" Jason yelled from the chair, but that was a mistake. Joker left me and kicked Jason's chest, forcing him to fall over, stuck in the chair on the ground. Before he returned to me, he took the chair and moved Jason to make him watch.

"Now, lets see what the world has been missing." He said and I immediately clamped my eyes shut, afraid of his hands running over my suit, trying to find a zipper. When he did, it wouldn't come all the way off. I forced my eyes to stay close as I felt him pull on the fabric, cutting it off with a batarang from my utility belt. When he was finished, I was dangling in a tanktop and my underwear. I couldn't bear it anymore.

"You sick freak!" I barked, swinging my legs up to kick him in the face. He spit out some blood and smiled.

"You little rat!" He walked about, grabbing a crow bar and started beating me. I cried out in pain, tears soon streaking my face the harder he hit me, and Jason began screaming, yelling for him to stop.

"Stop crying, little girl. Pretty girls shouldn't cry." He smiled, continuing to hit me with the crowbar. When I became to weak to cry out and the adrenaline took the pain away, he stopped. "You're no fun any more."

"Let her go!" Jason yelled. I don't know how many times he yelled it, but he did.

"I need you to be a good little boy!" Joker started beating Jason with the cow bar. Soon he was bored enough to tie his hands behind his back, taking him out of the chair. Jason was just on the floor. Then one blow made a loud crack. His jaw was definitely fractured as he fell back again on the floor.

"Stop!" I started to cry, my brother breathing heavily through the pain.

"Wow, that looked like it really hurt." Joker make a fake gesture of guild before breaking back into his smile. He continued to beat Jason, his groans barely audible against my screaming for Joker to stop.

"I'll kill you!" I started to threaten, but he wouldn't listen. Then, one blow flipped Jason over. That was when the Joker stopped to contemplate.

"Whoa, now hang on. That looked like it hurt a lot more, so let's try to clear this up, okay, pumpkin? What hurts more? A? Or B?" The Joker changed his swing, trying to compare his own notes. I wanted to throw up at the sight of the blood spatter. Jason was lying in a Jackson Pollock painting of his own blood. "Forehand? Or Backhand?" Joker began cackling at his own methods. I could hear Jason's bones cracking and breaking as I screamed for Joker to stop.

"Hurt me instead!" I screamed, my bare legs starting to get cold from the winter air in the warehouse. Then, Jason mumbled something, causing Joker to stop beating him for a second.

"A little louder, lamb chop. I think you may have a collapsed lung. That always impedes the oratory." Joker leaned down to listen, but Jason just spat in his face. A crooked smile graced my little brother's lips just before Joker hit him once more.

"Now, that was rude! The first boy blunder had some manners. I suppose I'm going to have to teach you a lesson… So you can better follow in his footsteps." Joker twisted the crowbar in his hands. "Nah, I'm just gonna keep beating you with this crowbar." He smiled and kept at it for what seemed like an eternity. But finally, Joker pulled out a knife and walked over to me.

"You know, stabbing you gave me the oddest sensation. Let's find that again, shall we?" He started cackling, dragging the sharp blade across my skin. I felt nothing, but the blood began stain my shirt, the gash streaking through the new hole in the stomach of my shirt. "Oh, no, that simply won't do." He took the crowbar in his free hand and kept hitting me. "I want you to scream for me!" He laughed, beating me harder and harder until I felt more of my own bones cracking and breaking. I started to give in, screaming as he cut me. But then he got bored and began beating me, again and again. Jason was barely conscious when Joker let me loose from the chains, tying my hands up, even thinking to put metal mits on my hands to keep me from using my claws. I couldn't move or even scream. I was numb, but the tears kept streaking as Joker pulled on his coat. Jason was on the floor, bleeding.

"Okay, kiddo, i gotta go. It's been fun though, right? Well, maybe a smidge more fun for me

than you. I'm just guessing since you're being awful quiet. Anyway, be a good boy. Finish your homework and be in bed by nine. And, hey… Please tell the big man I said, _Hello_." Joker dragged me past my little brother, taking me to the door. Jason looked at me with empty eyes as I was pulled away. I saw the bomb and started to cry even more, sobbing through swollen cheeks and eyes. He dragged me out and through the snow, my body leaving a trail of bloody snow and ice. The last thing I saw before I slipped unconscious, was the flash of light and the cloud of smoke where my little brother when up in flames. Lights out.


	49. As I Lay Dying

**Wally West "Kid Flash"**

 **Gotham**

 **December 1st, 2012**

I had been surprised to get a transmission from Batman from my comm. But when he told me he needed Kid Flash, I was there as quickly as possible. But when I got there and he told me that Kid Flash wasn't the only one he needed, but Wally West, I knew something was wrong. He told me that Jason went missing, and there were signs of a struggle. Then he told me that Sylvia received a message and went out alone to try and save her brother, but she too was attacked. The blood at the scene matched hers. I panicked as the two of us finally traced the muddled signal that was being emitted from their costumes. They were both at the same location, some warehouse in the Gotham Stockyard. This was when he and I climbed into the Batmobile, with confirmation that Nightwing was going to meet us at the location. I offered to run ahead, but Batman refused, telling me that Gotham had been experiencing extreme weather, and the ice would affect my turning and stopping. So, we drove. But it was too late.

When we made it to the Warehouse, the two of us climbed out and sprinted. I scoped out the perimeter, and found a streak of blood. I couldn't tell what direction it was going in at that speed and I didn't see the end, so I sped back to Batman to infiltrate and rescue. But before we could make it into the building, it exploded. Batman grabbed me and shielded us behind his cape. When the dust settled, I panicked and ran for the rubble, trying to find Sylvia. But together, we found something much worse. Jason was dead.

"No…" I said as I watched Batman cradle the dead body close to his chest. "No!" I screamed, running around frantically as I looked for my girlfriend. She could take more of a beating than most, but I couldn't bear the thought of her having to take what Jason had. His body was mangled and bruised with swollen patches of skin. I kept running around until I found what I thought was sylvia under a burning pile of crates. I threw the smoldering chunks of wood aside, only to find that it was her Wildcat suit, empty of it's wearer. "Sylvia!" I screamed, looking around. Then it hit me. The blood must've been hers.

"Kid, what is it?" Batman got out after putting Jason's body in the Batmobile. Nightwing pulled up on his motorcycle and didn't saw a word, just listened.

"There's a streak of blood leading away from the warehouse, and I found her costume!" I yelled back before bolting. I followed the trail, the Batmobile and Nightwing's motorcycle trailing behind me as I lead the way. My vision was blurring as the tears began to pool. I skidded on my feet as I made it to the junkyard. The trail changed from a streak to drops of blood, like who ever was dragging her had begun to carry her. I slowed down, following the trail, only to spot a bloodied and ripped tank top and a pair of spandex shorts in the snow. Then, I heard the sound of a sonic boom, causing me to look up at the sky. I recognized the blue and red blur as Superman as he descended and landed in front of Batman, who had climbed out of the Batmobile.

"Batman, what do you need me to do?" Superman asked. I could already tell that he was trying to look for her.

"We've followed a massive trail of blood, I need you to work as quickly as you can. Find her." Batman was commanding him like a master and his hunting dog. Superman just nodded, hearing the worry that hadn't creeped its way into his voice for quite some time. Just as Superman bolted, I sped off, trying to find her as well. It was a minute or two before we all stopped in our tracks. Superman had returned, but he was no longer wearing his cape. A small, crumpled figure was wrapped in the thick red fabric. A bruised and mangled arm fell out of the fabric, but the man of steel was quick to grab the arm and put it back in the fabric.

"Superman?" Nightwing asked, the rest of us silent.

"I'm gonna take her to the hospital, I don't think she has much time. I'll watch over her while you three hunt the Joker." Superman sounded stone cold, which didn't happen often. Before he left Batman put a hand up.

"I want to see her." Batman told him, so Superman knelt down and moved the part of the cape that was covering her face. I almost wanted throw up from the feeling of seeing her face like that. The Joker had attacked her before, but this was different. As I tried to look away from her blackened and swollen features, I noticed the bruising and lacerations continued from her face to the rest of her body. What made matters worse, was that I was starting to realize she wasn't wearing any clothes, not even the undergarments she always wore under her suit. We already found the tank top, and her shorts, and I was starting to realize she wasn't even wearing her bra. I was furious.

* * *

 **Clark Kent "Superman"**

 **Gotham General Hospital**

I had refused to wait in the lobby with the other families for other patients. I felt guilty, as I was supposed to be meeting Kon-El for breakfast. But when I messaged him, he understood and said to keep him updated on the girl's condition. She just kept coding as I stood outside the trauma room. I used my x-ray vision to watch inside the room, and to check every passer-by-er for weapons or costumes just incase they're after my best friend's daughter. But as bad as I felt for the girl, I kept catching myself remembering what that small girl did to Kon-El. Seeing the young boy after she had snapped was what really caused me to try harder and harder to be apart of his life and to make him feel welcome in mine.

But I kept standing, watching, guarding the little Gotham Princess. She kept seizing, which meant she had an acute brain bleed that they were going to have to fix after addressing the most life threatening traumas. I kept using my x-ray vision to check her wounds, she was accumulating more and more internal bleeding. She was bleeding out. They brought her to the O.R. and they let my up in the viewing gallery to keep an eye on her. I kept the comm to the room on incase they needed my help seeing something and so I could keep tabs on what they were doing to her. When she was sedated, they started opening up her chest and abdomen, repairing the Joker's damage. She started coding again, and they were fixing everything. They were all trying to find the bleed, but it wasn't in her torso. One nurse looked at me and I nodded, pressing the button to the comm.

"She has a small bleed in the frontal lobe, you may want to page a neurosurgeon, your _best_ neurosurgeon. It may be small but I refuse to let the Joker win this one."

* * *

 **Dick Grayson "Nightwing"**

 **Arkham Asylum**

 **December 2nd, 2012**

It took all night and every card we had to play to catch the Joker. Lucky, but also unlucky, for us, Sylvia has been in surgery this entire time. I just got the call that she has just been taken out, and won't wake up for a while considering what they had to do to keep her alive. Superman said she had brain surgery, cardiothoracic, abdominal, and orthopedic. She was going to be in the hospital for a long time. This was a moment that made feel guilty. She was dead set on having a normal life, her and Wally, starting their senior years, living like normal teenagers. College is their break, and the Joker decided to try to ruin that. The three of us were standing before the monster of a man. He was in the Arkham orange and a straight jacket to keep him from harming himself, or anyone else for that matter.

"You look good, been working out? You could probably use a little sun… well… the redhead seems to be getting more than you two, which to me is quite a shocker. But then again, who am I to talk." The joker burst into laughter. I just looked at Batman, trying to read what was going to happen next. "What? No quips from bird boy? You're so boring, all grown up in your big boy pants… But, better off than his replacement, that one's gonna be worm food by the end of the week." I saw Batman cringe ever so slightly.

"Why did you do it? What do you have to gain from killing Robin and-" Batman was cut off.

"-and by beating your girl senseless in more ways than one? I don't that one is gonna make it very long either… Maybe even if she did survive, after seeing the little birdie's bloody grin she might off herself. It's a shame, I'm hoping to enjoy my new toy." Joker started laughing harder and harder. Batman grabbed the Joker by the neck and threw him at the back wall, the chains around the criminal rattling. Before Batman could do anything else, Kid Flash snapped. He just started wailing on the clown. Each punch was making a loud _thump_ against the Joker's skin.

"IF YOU EVER TOUCH HER AGAIN!" Kid bellowed, grabbing Joker and throwing him across the room again before zooming over and grabbing his throat, slamming him into the wall.

"Nightwing! Get him out!" Batman ordered as he approached the Joker. I rushed and grabbed Kid as he fought me, kicking and screaming. We sat there, outside the room as the sounds emanating were less than forthcoming. I could only assume that Batman was picking up where Kid left off. When he finally walked out, Joker was a crumpled mess on the floor, faint chuckling permeating the air.

"You may want a physician to attend to him." Batman told the nurse as he walked out. Kid and I just looked at eachother, then at Joker, and got up to follow Batman.

* * *

 **Bruce Wayne "Batman"**

 **Gotham General Hospital**

 **An hour later**

I didn't know what to feel. I couldn't get the image of Jason's body out of my head. The explosion, finding him, it kept playing over and over in my head. Now, I sat in a chair, next to my comatose daughter in the hospital. She's been danger prone in the past, but this was different. This was extremely personal. She was still black and blue with swollen features, and now she had the gauze and stitches to match. Her head was wrapped up with gauze and padding from the brain surgery to correct the damage done. But similar to the last time she was in this hospital, she was intubated, and a machine was making sure she was breathing. Joker had collapsed her lung, so they were giving it a bit of a rest, the machine breathing for her so the lung would heal better.

Wally was sitting closest to her, his eyes bloodshot and slightly bruised. His healing was a lot faster, so my knuckles were still black and blue. He was holding my childs hand. Her other hand was in a thick cast, just like her leg, which was broken in her femur, tibia, and fibula. So her upper leg, lower leg, and ankle were broken in multiple places. Her face was wrapped up and she had a neck brace. In a couple days, they're going to surgically re-break her jaw and wire it shut to heal, but for now, they're leaving it broken. Alfred and Dick were here, down in the cafeteria getting some food for us all. Superman left to go tell the others the news.

This was all my fault.


	50. What About Angels?

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham General Hospital**

 **December 8, 2012**

Wally was zipping up the back of the black dress I dawned as I leaned heavily on the window ledge to keep myself up. The cast on my left leg was heavy and near impossible to get around with, and it couldn't do anything with the fat cast on my left arm either. It was in a sling as well now that they put screws in my collarbone. I felt utterly weak, especially with the pain medication that I was on. Wally helped me put on an oversized coat that would fit over my cast and he helped me get into the wheelchair, my casted leg propped up. He covered my legs in a thick, black, blanket. I just wished they could cover my face. It was too hard to look at myself in the mirror with such black and purple bruising on my face and all over my body. Wally handed my a dry erase board and marker, but I just set it on my lap. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't. They had to wire my jaw shut.

"You ready to go?" Wally asked me. He was in a suit with a black tie. I nodded, reaching to my mouth, touching the wires over my teeth. Wally grabbed my hand and gently pulled it away from my mouth. "The doctor told you to stop touching those." He told me, and I narrowed my eyes at him, keeping my hands in my lap. He wheeled me out and down to the hospital entrance. They were letting me be checked out for a few hours for the funeral. But I had to come back to this place right after. I wasn't allowed to spend the night outside the hospital just yet.

When we got to the manor, I found that there had been a wide path in the snow shoveled so they could wheel me to the actual funeral and burial of our littlest bird. I sat with a stone cold face as a priest read bible passages over a black casket. Every so often, I would look around the grave at the other mourners. Aside from our family, Commissioner Gordon had brought Barbara, and my mother stood in the back, keeping a watchful eye on all of us. The vision of Clark Kent and Diana Prince standing on either side of my father, supporting him, was making me feel heavy. The solemn faces of the members of the Team and the Justice Leaguers were burning through my soul. But, I kept the tears back. I didn't want anyone to see me cry. It was enough that they saw me just as physically broken on the outside as I was on the inside. I had always though the person to break my heart would be Wally.

The cold, empty feeling crept through me more and more as the snow began to fall again. Light, little, white snowflakes were falling through the December air and people made speech after speech. What I wouldn't give to be able to speak here. I would give up speaking for the rest of my life if I could say something to Jason. I couldn't even say the single word, _goodbye_. The empty, cold feeling was taking over my being more and more until they finally lowered the the casket into the ground. I watched as they filled the grave with dirt, burying him. I took a deep breath as people started moving back to the manor for the little wake. I sat through person after person giving me condolences. A waiter offered me food, but I just opened my mouth to show him that it was wired shut. He seemed embarrassed and left me alone with my heavy heart.

The Teammates who knew my secret, and ultimately Batman's secret, were milling about the room until some decided to raise a glass to our fallen friend. They told stories, mindful not to give away the superhero nature of them. I started to feel a little bit better as it they told happy stories of Jason. But I only started to miss him more and more. I started to remember things I was trying not to think about to try and keep myself from crying.

 _I could hear movement in the kitchen, so I led Dick to our father and Alfred. But when we entered the kitchen, there was a third person. A small boy about the size Dick was last year, but my brother had grown to be taller than Wally this year by an inch or two, so he was sizably larger than this boy. This boy shared raven black hair with us, slightly longer than Dick's. This boy even had blue eyes, like Dick, and sharp cheekbones like my father and I. This kid, he seemed like a cross between my brother and I, but he didn't have the muscle definition, the cold, calculating look that we have perfected over the years, nor the confusion that my brother and I shared as we looked at this guest in our home._

" _Sylvia, Dick," my father stepped up behind the boy, putting his hand on his shoulder, "this is Jason Todd, my new ward and the newest addition to our Family."_

My father had just sprung that on us. We didn't know what to think of Jason. Who knew the kid who store the tires off the Batmobile was going to make a great Robin and an even greater little brother to Dick and I. We had a lot of first with him, like Christmas.

 _There was a fresh coating of snow outside, and we had started the day with a little family Christmas. Jason seemed like he didn't like the holiday, but when Alfred and I made a big Christmas breakfast, he drifted into the kitchen, smelling the cinnamon french toast, bacon, the little cinnamon rolls, the eggs, everything, the look on his face was priceless. He had been dreading the family holiday the entire week before, and when it finally came, he finally seemed to feel like we were his new family. He had been so distant, barely talking to us and aggressively training with Bruce. But today, I was realizing this kid my father took in from the street, felt like he was having a real Christmas with a real family for the first time in a long time._

I remembered his two birthdays with us. He always thought we would forget, and he was so surprised that we remembered both times. Jason didn't even care about the presents. The happiest part of both days for him were just eating dinner as a family and blowing out the candles. The time I took him shopping to fill his closet with new things, he told me he had never owned more than a few pieces of old clothes. I just smiled at him and told him we were going to try every store and find his style. He just kept buying things to wear with the leather jacket he picked out for himself. He always wanted to help me with my homework whenever I was helping him, and he always liked to cook with Alfred and I. I started to miss how every morning he'd be the same bleary eyed Jason, the little sleep monster of the manor. In his flannel shirts and jeans every morning. I was refusing to give that feeling up. When Wally touched my shoulder and bent down to read my dry-erase board, I realised I had written, _What about angels?_ I quickly erased it and wrote, _take me to Jason's room_. He nodded and wheeled me across the first floor to my little brother's room.

They place had been untouched. There were still clothes on the floor, books out of place, the sheets on his bed still messed up. I didn't know what to feel until I had Wally push me closer to my little brother's desk. I reached out with shaky hands to the ipod in the speaker dock. I noticed it was on pause. The moment I pressed play, wondering what was the last thing he listened to, the tears began to fall, and I couldn't stop. I began to sob loudly, groaning from the inability to open my mouth from the wires. The music filled the air with my sobs, the pit in my chest growing as I sobbed. _It's only life_.

 _ **You've been talking for hours**_

 _ **You say, "Time will wash every tower to the sea,"**_

 _ **And now you've got this worry in your heart**_

 _ **Well I guess it's only life, it's only natural**_

 _ **We all spend a little while going down the rabbit hole**_

 _ **The things they taught you, they're lining up to haunt you**_

 _ **You got your back against the wall**_

 _ **I call you on the telephone, won't you pick up the receiver?**_

 _ **I've been down the very road you're walking now**_

 _ **It doesn't have to be so dark and lonesome**_

 _ **It takes a while but we can figure this thing out**_

 _ **And turn it back around**_


	51. Fix You

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry for not updating in a while and sorry for this being such a short chapter. Just letting you know, I've been very busy and I probably won't be able to update too often, but I'm soon to be a second semester senior (my school's semester ends mid January) so right around then I might be able to update more, but until then, back to the story:)**

* * *

 **Wally West "Kid Flash"**

 **The Cave**

 **December 24th, 2012**

Sylvia wasn't going anywhere, and I needed to do something to keep myself busy. If I wasn't busy, I would be giving Joker another visit. But I was still distracted, still reminded of what happened every time I saw my girl immobilized in a full leg cast, an arm cast, and her jaw still wired shut. She was getting a little skinny again with the inability to chew real food. She had to drink everything and it just wasn't enough. So I was back in the hero game again, waiting for her to get better, trying to distract myself. But at least it's the kind of distraction that feels gratifying, saving people from her fate. If I couldn't save her, I would make sure no one else had to suffer like that. Now that the Team has returned from our mission to stop a human trafficking ring, I was ready to go home. I had already hit the showers and put my spare suit back in my locker before walking to the mission room.

"See you later, Wally!" M'gann waved as she and Superboy were walking past me in the corridor.

"Bye, guys." I smiled, waving behind me as they kept walking. The mood in the Cave had been lighter lately since Christmas was the next day. Canary had been helping everyone with grief counseling too, so we've all been working through at our own paces, getting through the grieving process and mourning him in our own ways.

I walked into the mission room and made my way to the zeta tube, programming it for the Batcave and putting in the passcode since it was restricted to the others. The machine began to whir as I walked in, my surroundings changing in a flash of golden light, walking out the other side of the tube in the Batcave. Batman was out on Patrol with Nightwing, so the Batcave was quiet since Alfred was tending to Sylvia. When I got upstairs, Alfred would be making his way down to man the computer. So I got into the express elevator and came out into the study, wandering through the house until I found Alfred in the Kitchen and judging by the smell, he was making dinner.

"Back already, Wallace?" Alfred asked me, and I nodded.

"Yeah, the mission wasn't too difficult. Where's Sylvia?" I asked, leaning on the wall. I didn't see her in her usual spot in the livingroom.

"I helped her upstairs for a bath. They removed her cast today and gave her a brace to start her back into mobility work since she's healing a little faster than their usual patients. There's a special one for water so she's all good without the plastic wrap now-" I Alfred was updating me, but I was already gone, heading to my girl who was had too much pride to ask for help. I know she has trouble helping herself get clean, so I hurried upstairs until I made it to her room. For once, the door wasn't closed, but slightly ajar. Her lately disturbingly immaculate room was different, her clothes were on the floor in a trail to the bathroom. When I opened the door to check on her, I could make out a mass in the bottom of the tub. I assumed she was dunking herself to wash the shampoo out of her hair, so I sat on the counter for a second, waiting for her to come up. When she didn't, I walked over to the tube and saw her naked figure lying still in the water. Her emerald green eyes were staring back up at me from the bottom of the water. She just blinked and when I realized she wasn't coming up, I lunged into the tub and pulled her up. She gasped for breath, her naked body shaking.

"Why would you do that?" I barked at her. My eyes were wide as I held her upright, my hands on either shoulder. She looked at me blankly, her eyes bloodshot from the lack of oxygen. I just looked at her for a second, not knowing what to say. Then I started to understand from the expression on her face that she was bothered by me. "What was I supposed to do? _Let you drown yourself?_ " I asked her, wide eyed with my hands still around her shoulders. She just looked down into the water at her legs. There was a brace running the length of her leg. She rested one arm on the edge of the tub with a _thunk_ , the plastic wrap not doing much to muffle the sound of the cast. But it was doing enough to keep her cast dry. "Well, either I'm helping you out of the tub now, or I'm sit here until you're done washing yourself so I can help you out after. Your call." I looked at her and she sighed.

"No, I'm done." Her voice was quiet and small, muffled by the wires keeping her jaw shut, but easily made out. She lifted her arms and I pulled her up. She swung her braced leg out and hopped the rest of herself out as I held her up. I handed her the towel and waited for her to dry herself off before helping her to her closet. It took a little while to help her into her pajamas, but once she was in them, I gave handed over her crutches and helped her downstairs to the kitchen.

After Alfred made dinner and chatted up Sylvia, I took her back upstairs and helped her get into bed. She seemed to sleep now, more than ever. Probably because she was so broken, inside and out. She just wanted to sleep through everything. So, I laid down in her bed, letting her rest her head on my stomach as I sat up, reading a book for my _World Literature_ class. I got pretty far, annotating page after page when I heard Dick come home from patrol. I slid out of the bed and went downstairs as quietly as possible, so as not to wake up Sylvia.

"How was patrol?" I asked him, stopping the teenager in the hallway on the way to his bedroom.

"Fine," Dick replied quickly, moving to go into his room, just like every other night he spent back at the manor. But I used my speed to get between him and the bedroom door.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I have to ask you one more time. Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him, just as I did every time I saw him. He shook his head. Trying to get past me, but I wouldn't budge. "You know, I came home from a mission today and found your _sister_ trying to drown herself. She was just letting it happen before I pulled her out. I can see it, torturing her every day. Every night, she wakes up screaming, regardless if I'm there holding her or not. Regardless if Bruce is there for her. I know all of it is getting to her, she definitely showed it today. So please, talk to me, because I'm afraid that I'm gonna find you too, and I don't want it to be too late. Fastest kid in the world, and I wasn't there in time for Jason, I wasn't there in time to save my own damn girlfriend from being… f-from be-eing…" I couldn't even say it. I could take on metas five times my size without breaking a sweat, but I was too much of a coward to say what happened to my own girlfriend. I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes, and even now in front of my best friend, I was trying to be a man by not crying. But Dick didn't care. He just hugged me and started crying all on his own.

"Neither of us could have saved them," Dick finally stated after a couple of minutes crying in my embrace. I just consoled him and stroked his raven hair, just like his sisters. I kept thinking about the two of them. They seemed like so much more than just adopted siblings. They even looked alike with their high cheekbones and raven hair. They both sported the same olive tone that was a special kind of Gotham pale. The two of them were the greatest people I would or could ever know, and now, they were both broken. I was going to do everything in my power to make them feel better, and at least try to get them back to where they used to be, or as close to it as I could.

After a couple hours of just talking with Dick, he finally talked out his feelings and I let him go to sleep. I didn't feel tired yet, so I went to the kitchen and started late night snacking. Engorging myself on a massive ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce, bacon, extra cheese, tomatoes, and mayo to top it off. When I was finished, I still wasn't tired, but I figured laying with a sleeping Sylvia would be better than wandering around the house. So, I went back upstairs and got back into bed with Sylvia. She opened her eyes and groaned. She looked at me and lightly touched her jaw and pointed to the pain meds on her bedside table. Since she couldn't open her mouth because of the wires, I poured the right amount into a cup and gave her a straw. She drank her pain medication and stretched out like a cat, closing her arms around me before going back to sleep. I slid down and took her arms off me, getting comfortable with my arms around her.

"I love you, Sylvia Wayne, and I'm gonna fix you," I whispered to her sleeping figure, giving her a kiss on the forehead before I went to sleep myself.


	52. All I Want For Christmas Is My Sanity

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Central City**

 **December 25th, 2013**

"Wow, that looked like it really hurt." I made a fake gesture of guilt before breaking back into a smile. I was battling Captain Cold and Heatwave with Kid and the Flash. Flash was just hanging back, watching the two of us work. More like a supervisor than anything. I had just punched Heat Wave right in the chest.

"I'll kill you!" He began to threaten me, aiming his heat gun at me, ready to fire flames. But my adrenaline had already kicked in. It felt like everything slowed down, I watched as his finger moved in slow motion to press down on the trigger. I just took a hasty side step and grabbed his gun out of his hands, pointing it back at him.

"Ha! Cat-like reflexes!" I started laughing punching him in the chest once again. This just felt like dancing, I was toying with him, and everyone knew it. I kept getting these looks from KF.

"Very funny, kitten." Heatwave smiled before punching me in the stomach, catching me off guard while I was laughing at him. So I gave him a swift backhand to the jaw. He spat some blood, and I started laughing even harder.

"Whoa, now hang on. That looked like it hurt a lot more, so let's try to clear this up, okay, pumpkin? What hurts more? A?" I punched him in the chest and he wheezed. "Or B?" I gave him another backhanded slap to the jaw. "Forehand?" I clawed his face. "Or Backhand?" I swung my elbow up and impacted his jaw, causing him to fall to the ground. I walked over to him and kicked him over so he was laying on his stomach, groaning. For a moment, I realized what I was doing, and my head felt hot and my chest felt empty like avoid had been put inside. But I shook it off. I wasn't him, and I'll never be him. This was the moment that I started to feel extremely nauseous.

"Wildcat, just cuff him so we can be done here," Kid ordered, and I just laughed.

"Fine, whatever you say, cutie," I smiled at him before kneeling down and pinning Heat Wave with my right leg as I grabbed the handcuffs out of my utility belt. I tossed a pair to Kid as he pinned Captain Cold. Kid Flash had this look on his face, like something was bothering him. I think it's that time of the year where we're all bothered by what happened around this time last year. But I decided not to think about it. I was just getting back into my groove after what happened, and so was everyone else. So, Kid and I were back to fighting crime, and the Justice Leaguers seemed to be testing us in different cities and bringing us along on some low key League missions and public relations events. Dick thinks since it's because everything I've been through. He believes that the League has the idea that because of my experiences and Wally's insatiable need to help people, that we would make great additions to the League. So, we believe that they're grooming us for induction in a couple cycles of voting. My father even keeps dropping little lines like, _Being a member of the League_ and _When you join the League_. He expects us all to later join the League, but he's specifically dropping them to Wally and I. So, after we made sure the cops picked up Captain Cold and Heatwave, Kid and I went with Flash back to S.T.A.R. Labs to get out of our hero costumes.

In a bathroom at S.T.A.R. Labs, I got changed quickly. My makeup was still done from this morning, so I knew I would look fine for the Christmas Dinner I was attending at the West-Allen's. I was wearing an oversized red, black, white, and green Christmas sweater with reindeer worked into the patterns. Since the sweater was long enough to be a dress, I had on leggings with it and black timberlands. My raven hair was pin straight as it flowed down my torso. But my hair wasn't perfect for long. I dropped to my knees and vomited straight into the toilet. Everything came up untill I was dry heaving. When I was done, I pulled out my travel toothbrush and toothpaste and brushed my teeth until I felt like no one would be able to tell. Once I felt I looked fine, I took my Wildcat suit and put it in my bag before I walked out of the restroom.

"It's an honor to meet you," someone said to me as I walked out into the main room of the meta division of the Labs. He reached forward and started shaking my hand like it was the best part of his day. "You're work in Gotham as Wildcat is very impressive and the two Flashes have said very great things about you, a lot of cool stories." He kept shaking my hand and I just chuckled slightly before making him let go.

"Nice to meet you too, and you are?" I asked him, pushing my sunglasses up my nose so he doesn't see my eyes. I started shifting my face to be more feline, trying to hide my identity even further with the sharpened canines and expanded green irises with slit pupils. I never did that often, as I was always wearing a mask.

"Cisco. Cisco Ramon. I must say, _that_ ," he gestured to my face, pulling off my sunglasses, "is so cool."

"Leave her alone, Cisco," A girl with honey brown curls came over and extended a hand. "Hi, I'm Caitlin Snow," she introduced as I shook her hand. I didn't bother saying my hero name, she knew who I was. I looked over to Wally.

"I've known you since we were maybe twelve, I've been your girlfriend since we were fifteen, and I haven't met these two even once," I told him as Cisco and Caitlin started laughing. Wally just shrugged.

"I've tried to bring you here, you just never liked being in labs, so I respected that," He reminded me, coming over and putting his arm around me as Barry entered the room.

"You guys ready to go?" Barry asked.

"Yeah," Wally answered, the four of us following Barry out of the room down to the lab's garage. Wally and I rode with Barry as the other two followed in their respective vehicles. Before long, we were driving through light snow to get out into the suburbs of central city, finding our way to the West-Allen residence. When we arrived, Mrs. West gave me a big hug as Mr. West didn't even look at us, he just stared at the floor as he took a sip of his whiskey.

"Sylvia, as I live and breathe," Mrs. Garrick approached me and gave me a very tight hug. Then, she proceeded to swat Wally with the back of her hand. "It's about time Wallace brought you around to a dinner." The old woman just smiled and moved on to Cisco and Caitlin, talking to them about what Barry has been up to lately.

I let the group be, and moved to the kitchen to get a drink. I just felt like going through the motions, but I grabbed a glass and poured the egg nog. But there was a moment where I caught something in the corner of my eye. I took my glass to the window and looked out. In that moment, the glass nearly slipped out of my hand, but I was careful. I stared out into the snowy night and saw something. For a moment, it seemed like an animal crouching in the bushes. But when I moved closer to the glass, really focusing, the figure stood up like a human, the size of a young, teenage male. They stepped forward, and moved closer and closer to the house, ever so slowly. I put my free hand against the window, my eyes burning as the tears pooled in my wide eyes. He approached, wearing black hoodie beneath his leather jacket. He walked towards me in his black jeans and combat boots. He got close enough and touched his hand to mine through the glass. I could see his warm breath fogging the glass.

"Jason," I whispered, a tear escaping my eyes and streaking down my cheek as I studied his face as quickly as I could. I knew every inch of it, and was desperately hoping it wasn't him, or that I was going crazy. This was impossible.

"You alright?" I heard someone ask from the doorway. I wiped the tear and turned to see who it was. I saw Iris standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching me intently.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just watching the snow," I forced a smile before looking back to the window. He was gone. Maybe I was going crazy, but I noticed that the fog on the window was still there. I wiped at it, thinking maybe it was my breath that I was seeing, but it was his. I looked around and couldn't find him, so I went back to the Christmas party. It wasn't long before we got to dinner and found ourselves stuffing our faces. Well, everyone else was gorging as I stared at a barely filled place. I couldn't being myself to eat after seeing what I just saw. When dessert rolled around, I whispered to Wally that I would be right back. He nodded, and I got up, sneaking out the back door and walking out into the yard. I didn't even bother putting on my coat, I just walked out there. I couldn't even feel the cold. I walked around the house until I was where no one could spot me from the window. I just stood there and waited until I saw him.

"Jason," I said aloud, staring into his blue eyes. He was taller than me now. It made no sense.

"Sylvia," he said back before pulling me into a tight hug. This was when the dam burst, and I crumbled into a mess of tears.

"Is this real?" I whispered into his chest. I took a deep breath, smelling him. He smelled just like he used to, like waffles and the outdoors, like a forest of evergreens.

"What do you think?" he asked gently, stroking my hair as he hugged me tightly.

"You're supposed to be dead. There's no coming back from that," I told him, beginning to shake. I was going crazy, I had to be.

"I've been watching you for a while, watching you grieve. But there was something different about you. You were more broken than everyone else, and you're supposed to be the strongest of them all," he tried to tell me. I wanted to tell him what happened, but I couldn't get it out of my mouth.

"Why didn't you come sooner?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I'm not ready to join the land of the living. There are things I need to do before I come back," He told me, but he pulled my face to look at him. "Sylvia, what happened after he took you?" He asked me, trying to be calm as he asked.

"I… He… The Joker… um… It… He… I was… He…" I started to hyperventilate. I never talked about this. I refused to talk about it then, and it was near impossible to talk about it now.

"You're okay, you're safe," He promised me, continuing to hold me.

"Wa-Wally said they w-were fo-following the trail o-of my clothes. He said when they realized all the blood everywhere was mine, they called in Superman to find me before I lost too much. Wally said when he brought me to them, I was all wrapped up in Superman's cape. Wally told me that when he asked Superman how I was when he found me, Superman told him that the Joker had already escaped the property, and he found me just bloody and… bloody and naked, just sitting up against a rusted car in a nearby junkyard. The Joker… He…" I broke down, holding him tighter.

"It's okay, you don't need to say anything else. I just needed to know. I'm so sorry," He whispered to me as I tried to get myself to stop crying, the quiet cried becoming near silent sobs. After I got a hold of myself, I looked up to him.

"Come inside with me," I told him, grabbing him hand, trying to lead him back to the house, but he wouldn't budge. Okay, but first, I need you to close your eyes.

"Why?"

"Just do it," he told me. I closed my eyes. I waited, but nothing happened, not a world from him. When I opened my eyes, he was gone, and I felt like I had hallucinated the whole thing.

"I love you, Jason. If you're real, please come home," I whispered into the night before wiping the tears from my face. I went back to the house and joined the rest of the guests for dessert.


	53. She's Different

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Coast City**

 **December 30th, 2014**

I kept thinking I was seeing Jason in the crowd, maybe he would be standing there among the people, proud of what I was becoming. Today, was the public induction conference for the newest members of the Justice League. We were all suited up, standing before the Hall of Justice as Superman made some sort of long and boring but timely humorous speech about what it means to be apart of the League. But in all honesty, everyone here knew that this was the most peaceful couple years the public has had. No alien invasions, no mythical beings or extremist attacking, nothing. Just your run of the mill criminal activity and very few meta occurrences, and that's what made me nervous. I had this horrible feeling that the world, or at least my world, was going to go to shit again. I've been already going crazy, secretly trying to find Jason to at least prove that I wasn't insane that night on Christmas last year. If he even is alive, it's completely unfair that he would show himself to me, and then leave me to look for his face everywhere I went. I feel like I'm losing my mind, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Martian Manhunter did the honors of handing out the League membership cards. Kid Flash got his, then Guy Gardener, then Black Lightning, then me, and then Blue Beetle.

It was weird to me, we had graduated from the Team, ready to take on bigger burdens and make bigger and more important saves with the Justice League. I looked over to Batman as Superman made a concluding statement. To the untrained eye, Batman looked emotionless and empty on the inside. Though most people may assume he was brooding, due to the permanent furrowed brow that he had designed into his cowl. But to me, his daughter, I could tell with my enhanced vision that the miniscule upward twitch in the corner of his mouth that he was very proud. He was proud of me for finally following in his footsteps. First with studying to take over Wayne Enterprises, then becoming a Leaguer. I once overheard him talking with Superman, in that special way that I eavesdrop from across a house if I really focus, that maybe one day I would step up to lead the Justice League. That maybe I would have a real chance as a leader. Superman told him that with everything I've gone through, I would probably be able to make the tough decisions while still knowing what the other Leaguers are going through when times get tough.

When the whole ceremony was over, we moved inside the Hall, leaving the public behind to zeta to the Watchtower. Wally and I hadn't been up there since New Year's Day in 2011. Almost three years ago. It was a lovely party, but I ended up leaving early, heading to Coast City to see Tori. She had decided to go to college there in town, and today, she had invited me to go to a pre-new year's college party. When I got to the frat house, it was near impossible to hear myself think over the music. I searched all over the house and waved off the sweaty college boys that were hitting on me until I gave up on checking rooms. I took a moment and focused, sorting the scents in my head until I isolated hers and followed it back upstairs until I found a locked door, but I heard three heart beats, and some heavy breathing. I didn't hear anything else, so I assumed they were asleep. But the door was locked, so I made sure no one was looking before growing my claws and raking them right through the metal, knowing that it would destroy the lock. I heard someone coming up the stairs, so I retracted my claws and opened the door.

"Hey **hic** how was the **hic** League induction?" Tori hiccuped once more and I realized she was already drunker than almost everyone here, and not in any way shape or form able to keep her mouth shut about secret identities. She was nearly passing out when I rushed over and gently caught her before she slumped onto the floor. I made sure she was secure in my arms before I carried her like a child out of the room and down the stairs. I completely ignored the other two drunken imbeciles who were making out in the corner. When I finally got her outside to the street, I pulled her car keys out of her pocket and went looking for her little blue prius. When I saw one blue prius, I clicked the unlock button and then the lock button to check the lights, and when they didn't flash, decided to cheat and follow her rather faint scent to a different blue prius that strongly smelled of her and her sister before unlocking it and laying her down in the back seat before locking her in and climbing in the driver's side. Right after I started the car, her phone began to ring, so I reached back and dug it out of her pocket before pressing answer and putting whoever it was on speaker.

"Tori's phone, this is Sylvia," I answered sort of loudly as I peeled out of her parallel parking job.

"Yo, this is her sister. I've been calling her non-stop. She's been missing since yesterday morning!" The girl on the other end of the line complained of her sister, but I sensed a slight tinge of worry.

"I found her at some college party. Is your dad home?"

"No."

"Good, I'm bringing her there. She's sort of passed out drunk in the back seat," I told her before hanging up. It wasn't a long drive, but I kept hitting stoplights. Tori kept stirring in the back seat, mumbling incoherent thoughts. But then she seemed cognisant.

"Sylvia?" She asked, looking up at me from the seat.

"Yeah?" I answered her in a calm tone so there was no chance of upsetting my drunk friend.

"Where are we going?" She asked quietly, groaning slightly as we hit a bump in the road.

"Home," I told her before remembering an important question to ask. "Tori, what day is it?"

"Wednesday…" She mumbled before turning over in the seat to face the trunk. Today was Thursday.

"What time did you start drinking today?" I asked her, acting like it was still Wednesday.

"Around eight in the morning? I wanted to hang out with my friends…" She kept mumbling before she fell silent. Her breathing became heavier and slower as I heard her heart rate relax a bit. She had passed out. I drove a little faster and finally got to her house and dragged her out of the back seat. Lenore opened the door before I had even made it to the front steps. I carried Tori upstairs to where Lenore had said the bathroom was. I lightly smacked her cheeks a bit to get her to open her eyes, and when she did, I knelt her over the toilet.

"I'm really sorry about this, but we gotta sober you up," I apologized ahead of time before I shoved my fingers down her throat and tickled her esophagus the best I could before she began vomiting in the toilet. At first it was clear, then it was a bit of food, then she started to vomit black. That's when I knew she was vomiting up the lining of her stomach, so I stopped and washed my hands before wiping her mouth and brushing her teeth.

"I don't want to get up," Tori started crying a bit, her dark eye makeup running with her tears as she hugged the base of the toilet.

"I know," I sympathized with her before easing her up. "Let's get you in the shower, you smell like a bar," I told her before turning on the water until it was a relaxing temperature. Before I put her in, I walker to her room and grabbed one of her swimsuits and changed into it. It wasn't long before I put my hair up and walked into the bathroom, taking Tori into the shower and climbing in behind her. I sat behind her to make sure she didn't fall over and began to wash her. Hair dye pooled around the drain as I shampooed and conditioned her wild curls in the hot stream of water.

She just sat there, pouting and I started soaping up the loofah and scrubbing her body. She seemed so relaxed, almost falling asleep as I cleaned the stench of the party off of her, replacing it with the sweet scent of lavender. When I finished cleaning her, I turned off the water and propped her up against the shower wall before I dried myself off. I pulled her out of the shower and held her up as I dried her off. She seemed so much healthier once she was clean. Then I wrapped her up in the large towel before carrying her to her room. It felt like that in this moment, as I was taking care of her, that I was repaying her a small fraction of what she did for me when we were both in the hands of Vandal Savage. After I put my clothes back on, I pulled out her pajamas and began to dress her as she laid in silence. When I finished, I sat on the bed next to her and started combing her wet hair. She just looked at me with her teary, red eyes and sat up, putting her face in mine. I was completely shocked as she kissed me. I didn't know what to do as I sat with eyes wide and her tongue exploring my mouth. When she pulled away, I was speechless. I was gonna say something finally, but she kissed me again. This time she was completely sitting up and holding me closely. I was frozen with fear, afraid of hurting her in this fragile and unhinged state of drunkenness. When she pulled away the second time, she just smiled as her eyelids grew heavy. She just went back to sleep like nothing had happened.

I sat there in shock, not knowing what to do. I had never kissed a girl, and it felt different, but it felt nothing like Wally's kisses, the one's I welcomed so passionately and made me feel so warm inside. Tori's kissed were emotionless and unreciprocated on my part, and I was hoping that deep down, she wouldn't remember kissing me. My hope was that she was going to wake up with no memory of what she did and be a lot happier for not having to get rejected by me. The only thing running through my mind now was, _how would I tell Wally?_ I knew I had to tell him. There were no secrets between us, and that's what made our relationship so perfect. I decided to get up and grab my purse. I was going to go home to my love and tell him what happened before I waited with him for Lenore's call that her sister was awake. But I was going to stay away until the next day. I was going to wait for her to be in the right state of mind to check on her.

* * *

 **December 31, 2014**

Wally took the news just fine. He was actually happy I told him and then proceeded to tease me for the next few hours about kissing a girl, singing that Katy Perry song around our apartment off campus. I wanted to punch him, but I knew it was just a joke. But when I got the call from Lenore and went back over to their house, Tori seemed sullen. When I came into her room, she locked to door behind me and gestured for me to sit down. When I did, she sat across from me and started to speak, her tone filled with shame.

"I didn't mean to kiss you, I'm so sorry," she apologized before breaking down to tears. "I just wanted to keep it all a secret," she began to ball, burying her face in her hands. "I didn't want anyone to know," she said quietly, her voice muffled by her hands.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, and she looked up at me and took a deep breath.

"Sylvia, I'm gay," She finally stated after a long silence of trying to build up courage. I was shocked, but it all started to make sense. "It was just this thought in the back of my head for the longest time. I used to date boys! Like little bits of puppy love… But then I was with Savage for so long that I realized that I wanted girls the way I was supposed to want guys. I never wanted anyone to know…" She continued to cry, but I reached out and rested my hand on her shoulder.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about. You don't have to hide being you. Just warn someone the next time you're going to kiss them next time," I joked, and she started to laugh.

"I'm really sorry about that," She told me, half smiling.

"It's okay, things happen when people are drunk. Wally thought it was kind of funny. But don't worry, he's sworn to secrecy. No one has to know until you're ready to come out." I promised her. She smiled at me as I leaned over and hugged her. "There's nothing wrong with you just being yourself."


	54. And Then There Were Three

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Washington D.C.**

 **December 31st, 2015**

I was placed undercover at the Presidential New Year's Eve Ball as Colonel Wade Eiling's covert security detail. Since we had covert experience on the Team, the League sent us to protect him while discreetly investigating who is threatening his life. My guess was possible a group of militants that were against the United States and their military choices. Wally guessed someone that he burned a bridge with. The unidentified being behind the threats was sending messages to the Colonel on his private severs that he was going to be killed before the year is over. Now that it's New Year's Eve, this was the last chance the assailant was going to get, and we made it look like he had a relaxed security detail, as we were simply dressed as other party goers.

Wally was dressed in a black tux with a gold bowtie with me on his arm in a tight, gold evening gown. He kept saying I looked like some sort of movie star about to walk on the red carpet since my hair was done in those perfect movie star waves that reminded him of the 1920s. But I just felt weird, sure I was used to dressing like this, but for some reason, I just felt gross in the slightly too tight dress. Everyone kept commenting how beautiful I looked, I was clean and all dolled up, but I didn't feel right. But, I didn't let that get in the way of the mission. I just held my head high and continued to use my skills to listen for anything suspicious and smell the air for gunpowder, poisons, or explosives. Wally was the one keeping an eye out. He just acted like he was curious about the beautiful room we were in with an assortment of presidential paintings and works of art, when in reality he was watching out for suspicious characters. When I finally caught the scent of gunpowder and didn't trace it back to a secret service agent, I took Wally to the dance floor and had him dance with me around the room in hopes of tracking the scent without looking like a total idiot.

"You narrowing it down?" Wally whispered in my ear, acting like he was flirting. I let out a fake laugh and leaned close to his ear.

"Yeah, there's a few guys and like two girls. Some of them may just have residue on then, but I'm trying to sort who had the strongest scent… Man, I wish I had x-ray vision right about now," I joked to him as I kept it up. I finally sorted it down to two people, a man and a woman, both over by bar getting drinks. I stopped dancing.

"What is it?" He asked, and I nodded toward the male and female. Wally smiled and walked with my over to the bar. He ordered us drinks with the fake I.D.s that made us, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. I looked over at the woman and decided to start a conversation with her, just so I could get closer for a better gist of why she smelled like gunpowder. Wally did the same to the man to stall him before I could get around to checking him out.

"Oh, my god, I love your dress!" I told her, looking at the shiny, forest green silk that caressed her body. I actually did like the dress, so it was easier than lying. The woman's lips stretched into a smile as she started looking at my dress.

"Thank you so much…?" She looked at me like she was waiting on a name. I put out my hand for her to shake.

"Nora. Nora Johnson," I told her without hesitation as she shook my hand.

"Nice, to meet you Nora. I'm Soraya. Soraya al-Sherif Abonami," She introduced herself. I finally realized who she was.

"Abonami? As in the famous pilot?" I had asked her, realizing where I knew her from. She had recently been given a series of medals and honors for her work piloting fighter jets and helicopters for black ops missions, reconnaissance missions, and rescue missions. I was starting to realize she only smelled like a lot of gun powder because she is still in active duty. She also had a scent of jet fuel. There was also a moment of extreme nausea where Sylvia had to hold her breath so she wouldn't aggravate her stomach with any other smells.

"Yes, I actually have to get back to the General, so have a good night," she smiled politely before leaving, it was the guy.

"Hi, honey. Wanna introduce me to your friend?" I asked Wally as I looked at the guy he was detaining, but then I realized it wasn't the same guy, and he was discreetly holding a gun against my boyfriend.

"Actually, sweetheart, why don't you go somewhere quiet to call your father, like you promised?" The second Wally uttered those words, I knew that it was time to act. Like you promised is our code. This was our guy. I recognized him too, he was dishonorably discharged upon the orders of one General Wade Eiling.

"Yeah, _sweetie_. Run along," the man told me, and I just sneered.

"Fat chance, _sweetie_." I pressed my comm in my ear, alerting the party security and setting off the silent alarm for outside reinforcements. Wally winked at me before using his superspeed to take the gun away from the man before it was even possible to react and pull the trigger.

"What in the hell…?" The man questioned the speed just before I moved to detain him. He hit me in the stomach unexpectedly and knocked the wind out of me. I panicked and extended my claws, slashing his tux. He threw of his jacket as I caught my breath.

"Quickly, check the perimeter to make sure he's not alone," I told Wally. He nodded and sped off to make a sweep. The man punched me in the face, hard. I touched my lip and found that it was bleeding.

"You're gonna regret that," I spat, my blood splattering a bit on him. I waited a second, watching him wipe the blood off of his face before I threw an undercut before a high kick to the side of his head. He fell against the side of the bar and that's when I caught this man's scent. I grabbed a batarang out from the strap on my thigh and chucked it, hitting the fire alarm.

"EVERYONE OUT!" I yelled as people started running for the doors. I clawed open his shirt and found that I was right. He had a bomb. "Really? Kill him with explosives? That'll kill you too, genius."

"A good captain always goes down with his ship," the ex-marine declared with a smile. In my peripherals I could see Eiling approaching with his security.

"Sir, I'm gonna need you to leave the premises. He has explosives and he intends to kill you with them." I lunged quickly to try and detain the ex-marine, but he just pressed his thumb down on the detonator. I froze and just locked eyes with the man.

"If I lift my finger of this trigger, we all die. Why don't you just leave, and let me kill the General? Less casualties," he tried to negotiate with me, but I wasn't having it.

"KID!" I called out. It felt like everything slowed down around me as I watched the ex-marine slowly pull his finger off the detonator. I started running for the hills as I saw Wally spreading Eiling away as the security detail ran. The bomb went off and I started to feel the heat catch up with me. The force knocked me off my feet, glass flying everywhere. Before I could hit the floor, Wally grabbed me and ran me outside. As soon as he let me stand up on my own, I immediately threw up in the bushes.

"Babe, you good?" He asked me.

"Yeah, totally fine…" I told him before lurching once again, vomiting behind the bush once again. "Totally fine," I promised as I reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of gum and started chewing.

"You sure?" He double checked, putting his arm around me. I nodded and he just laughed. "Alright, I'm thinking you have a concussion, so I think we should take you to a hospital." I just started laughing.

"Fine, but make sure Eiling is fine-" I reached towards the general, but Wally just picked my up in his arms as I tripped. Ambulances and fire trucks started showing up as the building burned.

"Yeah, no. I think you need to see a paramedic," he laughed as he carried me to one of the open ambulances. We told the paramedic that I was just a little too close to the blast and that I might have a concussion. He said based on how close we said I was, the ambulance ended up taking me to the hospital. Wally and I were just sitting in a hospital room, waiting for results from blood work and a head scan to come back based on how close I was to the blast.

"So, what do you think you want for dinner? I think I'm gonna order us some food since we haven't eaten yet," Wally asked me, pulling out his phone. I thought for a second, then I had an immediate craving.

"Ooh, babe, get Potbelly's," I told him, grabbing his arm excitedly.

"Your favorite?" He smirked, typing things in of his phone to order online.

"You know me too well," I smirked. He knew how much I missed Potbelly's sandwiches since they don't have any stores down in Miami. The two of us were usually in class, finishing up our senior year in college and doing work with the League. We never had any time to exploit our zeta tube privileges, no matter how much we wanted to, we were always just too busy or too tired.

"It'll be here soon," he promised, pressing the order button in his phone. I smiled before feeling a wave of nausea wash over me once again. I hopped up out of the hospital bed and went right into the bathroom, throwing up whatever contents remained in my stomach. When i was finished, there was nothing left. I just pulled out the toothbrush and toothpaste that the nurse had given me and went to work. "You okay?" Wally asked.

"Fine, totally fine," I assured him before finishing brushing.

"You sure?" He asked, running my shoulder as I sat back down on the bed.

"Yes, babe, I'm fine."

"Alright, then maybe I'll go see the nurse and find out what's taking so long," Wally said before promptly leaving to room. I sat alone, thinking about what could be making me sick since I didn't think I had a concussion. I was starting to think that I was just getting the flu since I keep going through temperature shock with all the Zeta-ing everywhere. That was probably it. I had been sick on and off for a couple weeks, so maybe it was just finally kicking in. I was not excited to be sick, especially living in Florida.

"Hey, babe, the nurse will be here in a minute," Wally said as he came back in. I was starting to get nervous, squirming in my hospital gown and gift shop sweatpants. Just a few minutes later, a nurse in light pink scrubs came in with a cart of miscellaneous items and brought it right up to the beg with a smile.

"Hi, Mrs. Johnson," the nurse said, referring to my cover identity. "I was informed about your situation, and you don't have a concussion, but I do need to perform an ultrasound to make sure everything is alright. Just making sure there's no internal bleeding or compression." The nurse smiled as she lifted the hospital gown and put the cold gel on my stomach, starting the ultrasound.

"Jeez that's cold," I laughed, feeling her move the transducer around my abdomen. The nurse laughed.

"Yeah, I get that from most moms," the nurse joked. I froze, my eyebrows knitting in confusion. I could feel Wally looking at me.

"So… everything fine? No internal bleeding? I'm good to go home?" I asked her, now wanting to leave. I was starting to feel really uncomfortable and then nausea was coming back.

"I don't see anything immediate on the ultrasound, so your baby is in the clear but I'd like you to stay a bit longer so we can test the amniotic fluid for any anomalies from after the explosion," the nurse said and Wally and I both looked at each other, dead silent. This has to be some mistake. But then, we heard it, the soft but steady rhythm coming from the monitor. "Their heartbeat is strong so I don't think there are any problems, but you should really be careful and get a lot of bed rest just to make sure the little one doesn't get jostled around again while you recover-"

"Hold on a second," I stopped her. "I'm pregnant?" The room was silent all except for the heart best. But that stopped too when the nurse removed the transducer from my stomach.

"Miss, at this point, I thought you knew?" The nurse raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between the two of us. "Mrs. Johnson, you're eleven weeks pregnant. The tests we ran confirmed it."

"She's eleven weeks pregnant?" Wally asked the nurse. I was just dumbfounded. She just smiled and pulled a picture out of the printing port of the ultrasound and handed it to him.

"I'll give the two of you some privacy," the nurse just smiled, walking out with the cart. I felt like an idiot, unable to look Wally in the eyes. I felt ridiculously stupid. I could feel his eyes on me. When I finally looked up, he had this look on his face that I had never seen before. I wasn't sure what he was going to do, but then he kissed me.

"I love you."


	55. I Hate Goodbyes

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Watchtower**

 **January 21st, 2016**

"You can't be serious!" I shouted in defiance. I was in my civilian clothing in a room full of uniformed heroes, including my boyfriend. The information I was just given at this League meeting had my hormones kicking into high gear. I felt like crying but I know the tears were sort of empty and I really wanted to throw up but every time I throw up, Wally tries to feel me saltine crackers and cups of ice and it's starting to get really annoying, even though I know it's because he cares about me. It's bad enough he's policing the prenatal vitamins in the mornings if I don't take them right away.

"We are absolutely serious," my father started, "It is at the utmost importance that we go to Rimbor and stand trial. The things we did have consequences and it has been agreed upon that we need to clear the League's name and bring the true perpetrator to justic-" I cut him off with an involuntary gag.

"Babe, maybe you need to sit down," Wally put a hand on my shoulder, trying to get me to sit back in my chair. I had stood up during my outrage, and naturally, my morning sickness was kicking into high gear with the sudden movement.

"I'm fine," I lied, and he knew I was lying when I started supporting myself on the table. The room was silent, especially my father.

"Are you alright?" I heard Black Canary ask when I closed my eyes and started swatting Wally's arm. I was lucky he had super speed when I whipped around, hurling straight into the garbage can that he grabbed just faster that I could turn and heave. As soon as I turned back around, I found Superman starring at my stomach the way Superboy does when he's trying to use his infrared vision, but Superman had X-ray vision. If he didn't know before, he does now.

"You know what? I think you should just send a representative to talk to whatever council you're gonna talk to because I need you to be here," I told him as Wally put the trash can away. "What if you're gone longer than say, I don't know, 26 weeks?"

"Is there something important happening in 26 weeks?" My father asked and I almost started laughing. I could tell that Wally was starting to get nervous. We were gonna tell my father over dinner next week, but this couldn't wait, and Wally must've been afraid that my father was going to kill him.

"You know what? Why don't you come out in the hall with me and I'll tell you," I told him as I moved slowly to the door, opening it up for him to come out with me. When he followed, as say Wally get up. "No, you, stay here. Might as well tell Barry," I told Wally. The two of us actually already told Wally's parents since we knew they would be thrilled, but my father was the wildcard. When I turned to face my father in the hall, I took a deep breath.

"Dad…" I tried to pluck up the courage to tell him, but it just wasn't there.

"You're pregnant, I know," he said with his stoic face shifting into a smile. He looked around before pulling down his cowl, letting me really see my father's face. I was so confused.

"You…? How do you know?" I asked and he laughed. I'm the moment I started to believe that was the first time his laugh had ever graced the walls on the Watchtower. My father hugged me for a minute before pulling away and pushing my baggy winter sweater back to see my small baby bump from being almost four months.

"Superman told me the first time he caught the sound of two heart beats and his immediate thought was to congratulate me on being a grandfather," my father laughed, hugging me once again.

"You're not mad?" I asked and he just smiled.

"I'm not mad, are you kidding? You're 20 years old, you can make your own decisions and I will respect them as long as I get to see the little one," he smiled and glanced at my stomach one more time.

"This is why I don't want you to leave, I don't think I can do this without you," I admitted, pulling on his arm.

"You have a big family, the Team, the League, and don't forget Wally. You really just need Wally right by your side, and you'll be fine until I get back. I'll probably be back before the little one arrives. They can't keep us for that long. I promise I'll be back before it's time," I assured me, but it all felt wrong.

"Fine, but before we go back in there, I wanted to give you something." I reached into my purse and pulled out a copy of my official sonogram that I got the other day as Sylvia Wayne instead of as Nora Johnson. My father smiled, holding it in his hands before tucking it away in his utility belt and pulling his cowl back on.

"When the meeting is over, don't tell anyone about the League's plans just yet, but you need to tell people you're pregnant before they figure it out on their own and they might in just a few short weeks," he told me, and with that, we went back into the conference room. The meeting didn't last much longer, and when we were released, Wally took my to the Cave. I felt armed and dangerous with my many copies of my sonogram. The second we were in the mission room of the Cave all eyes were on Wally and I. He was still in his Kid Flash uniform, his cowl pulled down. As soon as I saw my brother, running the training session, I zeroed in on him and just strutted across the room, pulling out a sonogram picture for him. I had a huge, dorky smile on, and didn't even notice when I walked right in the way of Lagoon Boy who was all bulked up and charging to attack Superboy.

"Seriously?" I immediately felt the rush of wind one second and the next, I was in Wally's arms.

"Wally," I said, making him pause before he put me down.

"Yeah?" He asked me.

"If you're gonna put me down, do it by a trash can," I told him before pursing my lips shut.

"Right, sorry," he apologized to the sudden jolt of movement before running me to the locker room, Nightwing running after us. Tim was running as well, but I hadn't really talk to him much before. He was family, but I was usually in college or with the League, not back in Gotham, babysitting the freshman.

"Cat, what's wrong?" I heard my baby brother call by a hero nickname as he walked into the locker room. I was in mid vomit when they came in, so I couldn't necessarily answer him. When I stood up went to rinse my mouth in the sink and when I was done with that, Wally handed me a piece of gum.

"Why don't you come with me?" I told them and started gathering the other Senior Team members, Tori, and the two newest Bat kids in the living room. They all were sitting on the couches while Wally and I stood in front of the television. It was hard not seeing the Atlanteans, but I was seeing Artemis, Conner, M'gann, Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin.

"So," Artemis started, "What's the news you guys wanted to tell us?" The blonde smiled, crossing her legs and leaning in, just waiting. I looked at everyone and they were all just waiting.

"Well," I started laughing, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a sonogram photo and showed it to them. Artemis gasped, M'gann And Tori squealed, Connor and Nightwing were giving Wally smug looks, Batgirl grinned and Robin just smiled like he didn't know what to do in this situation. "Yes, I'm pregnant, and I'm right around 14 weeks."

"That's amazing!" M'gann got up and hugged me.

"This means, mainly by consensus from Wally and… the League… I will be shifting to just Watchtower surveillance duty until I'm done. This won't affect my time at college since Zatanna gave me a special glamor charm so when I go to class, I'll look normal and not pregnant… Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm just really happy," I told them and it became a series of hugs from everyone.

 **Mount Justice**

 **January 26th, 2016**

We were standing on the beach, all saying goodbye to our mentors. But I was saying goodbye to my father, and it was really hard to do that with all the pregnancy hormones. I just wanted to cry, but I stood strong alongside Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin. I didn't want to say goodbye, but I already had in private with my father before everyone went outside to see the incriminated Leaguers off.

"Be careful, alright?" Nightwing broke the silence.

"I was about to say the same to you four. I fear we leave the more dangerous task there on Earth," Batman stated. Though it may not seem like it to most, he was skeptical about the outcome of this trial and what they were leaving behind for us to deal with.

"Everything will be fine," I promised my father. Nightwing put a hand on my shoulder.

"She's right, we'll manage," he spoke softly but with a self assured tone. The four of us gave Batman proud looks before we heard Green Lantern.

"Time to go," he declared. The Leaguers headed for the trial banded together and the Green Lantern raised his ring, creating an orb around the eight of them.

"May the gods be with you all," Wonder Woman said before the green orb became a massive, intergalactic ship. We all watched as the ship rose up into the air, blowing a current or air as all of us watching hopelessly on the beach. The wind blew through my hair as I found my hand holding my small baby bump for reassurance. When they flew away, my father along with them, I watched as the glowing green ship vanished into the night sky. When Captain Atom turned and walked away, we all followed suit. Once in the Cave, I just broke down into tears.

"You alright, Cat?" M'gann asked, stopping in the corridor with me as everyone else moved on.

"Yeah," I sobbed, "It's just the pregnancy hormones, they put everything into overdrive," I told her and she just laughed.

"I have a fresh batch of cookies and a dough filled bowl with your name on them," she smiled. I just started laughing as she lead me to the kitchen. She shot a text to Wally to come to the Cave after his patrol in Central City as I took a warm cookie and started eating. It just felt so good to eat something so sweet and so warm.

"M'gann, you're not even from Earth but when it comes to cooking classics, you are a godsend," I told her as I started eating another cookie. M'gann chuckled and grabbed a cookie herself.

"Thanks, Cat. You know, we really miss you and Wally being on the team." I looked at M'gann and realized something.

"I miss being on the Team too. The League is cool and empowering, but it doesn't feel like a family," I admitted, hugging M'gann.

"But even if you're not a member of the Team, you're still family," she smiled before Artemis came in and grabbed a cookie.

"I honestly cannot believe that Wally is not a virgin," Artemis joked as she sat down next to me. The three of us laughed. "But in all seriousness, I'm really excited that you could end up having a little ginger baby boy or girl," Artemis smiled.

"Knowing genetics, he or she will probably have her black hair," M'gann gestured to me, "But it'd be totally cute if you had a little ginger baby, not gonna lie," M'gann giggled.

"You know what, I'll admit it, it'll be really cute if it's a ginger." I smiled, rubbing my stomach lightly before going in for a spoon of cookie dough. After a little while, I felt a rush of wind and saw a gloved hand grab a cookie and a set of lips gave me a kiss on the head.

"Hey, babe." Wally pulled down his cowl and moved me so I'd be sitting on his lap in the chair. I gave him a real kiss and felt like it wasn't the end of the world, my dad would come back, and everything was going to be fine.


	56. Bloodlines

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Miami, Florida**

 **February 28, 2016**

It was still dark out, and I was trying to sleep, but something kept waking me up. Wally was fast asleep behind me, his arms wrapped around me with his hands interlocked just above my somewhat prominent belly. I was now 19 weeks along, and you could really tell I was pregnant now. I trying to fall back asleep when something felt weird. It was faint, a sort of pressure in my stomach, but then I really felt it.

"Wally," I half whispered, and he just mumbled to himself, groaning slightly. "Wally!" I said again in a sort of shouting whisper, and his eyes blinked open.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" He asked as I rolled over to face him, grabbing his hand. I took his hand and put it on the right side of my stomach. Immediately his face lit up. "Babe…" he looked up at me before looking back down at my stomach, where his hand rested.

"That's our kid," I smiled, pulling Wally's lips to mine, his smile continuing through the kiss. I loved how happy he was.

"That's our kid," he said as he pulled away from the kiss, feeling the little boy or girl move around. Wally was just so happy, the way his eyes glinted with the rising sunlight as he smiled, his red hair turning to fire in the orange sunlight. But the moment ended when I heard Wally's stomach grumble, and that sound reminded me how hungry I was.

"I guess it's breakfast time," I laughed before rolling away from my boyfriend and getting up from the bed. I walked to our little kitchen and opened up the fridge, trying to decide what to make, but then Wally grabbed my shoulders and gently moved me to sit down at our table. "What?" I asked him as I sat in the chair.

"I think I'm gonna make breakfast this morning," he smiled, tossing me my phone from sherif was charging on the kitchen counter. "Put the Sunday morning mix on," he told me and I laughed, scrolling through my phone to find the playlist that the two of us hadn't played in quite some time. I connected my phone to our speakers and pressed play, the song "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone came on we just got right into singing as Wally started cooking. I walked to the front door and grabbed our newspapers before going back to the kitchen. Wally was already dancing like his natural dork self, in just his underwear, a t-shirt, and his apron. It wasn't long before he was finishing up at and the stove and set a plate of French toast in front of me with strawberries, blueberries, and black raspberries on top. He handed me the syrup and set down his own plate that had far more food on it, and even I thought I had a lot. The two of us chowed down, for a bit till the oven timer went off. Wally got up and pulled out a pan of bacon and put the pieces on a plate between us. We sat there. The sunlight streaming through out windows as he had breakfast and listened to David Bowie's "Heroes". When the two of us finally finished our food, we moved to the living room and turned on the news. It was kinda fun to see Iris on national news reporting on things like politics, the League, and the Flash. She always smiled more when reporting on the Flash. The baby started kicking again and I smiled, nonchalantly taking Wally's had and setting it on the spot where the baby was kicking. Wally smiled and left his hand there when I let go. He leaned in to give me another kiss and right in the middle of it, his phone started ringing. When Wally answered, I could hear my brother's voice.

"Hey, need your help." I stayed silent as they talked, eavesdropping.

"What do you need me to do?" Wally asked, sitting up straight in the couch. It was almost amusing that his hand never moved from my stomach, like he was just holding onto me.

"We were in the Cave when out of nowhere, a machine appeared out of thin air and a kid came out, claiming to be someone named Bart Allen, grandson of Barry Allen. He said he was from the future, and he's making a beeline for Central City. I need to you head there and warn Barry that this kid is coming before he gets there. Make sure you guys don't lose track of Bart and try to bring him back to the Cave. Got it?" My brother explained, waiting for Wally to drop everything and go.

"Fine, but next time, don't call me when I'm having a good morning with your pregnant sister," Wally sighed, Dick laughing on the other end of the line.

"Sure thing, now get moving. Nightwing out," my brother said before hanging up. Wally stood up and grabbed his cargo pants from the clean laundry and his coat from the closet. He got dressed quickly before giving me one more kiss.

"Alright. I'll be home as soon as I can," he promised before opening the door.

"I love you," I told he before he left.

"I love you, too," he threw me a smile before running off in a blur. I was kind of funny seeing his head out wearing a coat when it was eighty degrees outside here in sunny Miami. I just got up from the couch and put on my bathing suit and a loose white dress as my cover up. It wasn't long before I put my long raven hair into a braided high ponytail and slipped on a pair of sandals. I grabbed my phone and beach bag and left a note for Wally: Gone to South Beach, car will be parked in the usual lot on 17th street. With that, I grabbed my car keys and headed out the door. I drove down the A1A and made my way to South Beach, soon parking the car just a block or two away and walking to the beach. I loved living here, where it was sunny nearly every day, and the rain just washed away the past. When I got to the sand I put down my towel and put on sunscreen, applying an extra layer to my stomach. I put on my sunglasses and sand on the towel, pulling out my book and getting into my reading. After a while, I realized something was between me and the sun, casting a shadow upon myself.

"Whatchya readin?" I heard a cool voice say as I looked up, seeing a woman in a striking red bikini, her bag dropped in the sand before me. When I realized who it was, a scrambled to my feet and gave her a big hug.

"What are you doing here!" I said excitedly as we parted and she grabbed her towel to lay out next to mine.

"I'm your mother, you can't just give me a phone all that you're pregnant and not expect me to come visit!" She laughed. "So, I waited till business was slow and hopped on a plane out here," she said as she smiled.

"I'm so happy you're here!" I exclaimed as I hugged her once again, putting my book away as we sat down. She glanced at the title.

"The Magicians?" She asked and I grinned, zipping the book away.

"Yeah, its by this guy names Lev Grossman. It's like Harry Potter but instead of a British school called Hogwarts, it's an American school called Brakebills. George R.R. Martin actually gave it a hilarious review," I pulled the paperback book back out and looked at the back, " _The Magicians_ _is_ _to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish Whiskey is to a glass of_ _weak tea_ ," the two of us laughed.

"Well then, maybe I'll have to read it sometime," she smiled as I put the book back away. "So, have you and Wally been thinking about baby names yet?"

"No," I shook my head, "he wants to wait until we find out the gender to start thinking names," I told her, stretching my legs forward so my toes could burrow into the sand.

"Well, what were you thinking?" She asked, knowing that I was probably thinking about names like my life depended on it, and in that case, she was right.

"Well, I don't know, it could change at any point. But lately for a boy, I was thinking Eliot or Wallace, maybe Jonah. For a girl I was thinking maybe Alice, or maybe Freya or Myrcella or Renly or Arianna or Seraphina or Catelyn or Lena or Kara or Alexandra or Martha or Katarina or-" my mother cut me off.

"Someone wants a girl," she chuckled. "You know, I'm not so sure about some of those girl names, but I do like Lena, Renly, and maybe you could do Alexa instead of Alexandra," she told me and I nodded, pulling out my phone to update my list. "As for the boy names, that's a fine list. Jonah is my favorite, but maybe you could try Thomas. Oh I can see it now, little Tommy running around in his diaper around the Manor…" she closed her eyes and exaggerated the imagination.

"Thomas like my grandfather, dad would love that," I said as I put the name on the list. It was right at the top.

"I think that's enough about names, we should get in the water," she got up, lending me a hand to pull me up.

"I think you're right," I gave her a smile and the two of us waded into the cool salt water to escape the heat. I was enjoying being a human submarine for a bit, swimming with my mother out to the sandbar. Like other friends and couples around us, we sat on the sandbar, letting the waves wash up to our chests. My braided ponytail just swished about in the water as my mother's hair escaped the salt, high on her head in a somehow perfect bun. The two of us just sat and relaxed, talking about backup plans just incase my father wasn't back in time for the little one's arrival. She was offering to move in for a bit to help with the baby so Wally and I could actually get some sleep. She was also the only other person we knew besides Alfred who knew how to take care of a baby, as I was refusing to stay at the West household. Wally and I both knew how a crying baby would cause a lot of irritation and upset with his father.

After a while, the two of us got out of the water and decided to leave the beach to get a late lunch. We both needed to eat, but it was more like my baby wanted to down an all you can eat buffet. We went to a little hole-in-the-wall Cuban restaurant and went to town on food, talking about how our lives had been going since we last saw each other. It was just a really nice mother-daughter day. When we got back to the apartment, I found that my mother already had her luggage in my apartment. She must've found me at the beach because of the note I left for Wally. Before long, the two of us were taking showers and sitting down at the couch, turning on the television. There was a brief moment where the baby started kicking again. I got really excited and put her hand on my stomach. She got so excited that she called Alfred to tell him that I was gonna have to go to Gotham to show him how awesome it feels when the grandbaby starts moving around.

Soon we were watching a movie and I was curled up next to my mother, when it became dinner time, she handed me my laptop for the two of us to order takeout. As I was doing so, she got up and grabbed a brush, combing through my wet hair. She started doing two french braids. For a while, she started laughing and making jokes when she realized how long and thick my black hair really was. Once the food got to the apartment, we sat and ate while watching a movie. When I finished eating, my mother and I curled up on the couch once again. That's when I fell asleep, despite my best efforts to stay awake for my boyfriend to come home.


	57. Depths

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Miami**

 **March 19th, 2016**

"Okay, so you know I want to name it Thomas if it's a boy, so before we go in there, you can call dibs on the name if it's a girl," I told Wally, and he smiled. The two of us were at the doctors, waiting for our appointment with the obstetrician.

"Well, don't kill me for snooping, but… I saw the list on your phone and I found a name I liked and when I googled the meaning, I really liked it," he told me and I got a little confused.

"Which name did you pick?" I asked, rubbing my sizeable belly. I was five months along and we were about to find out the gender. Neither of us could wait, we just wanted to know.

"Well, in hopes that our little girl will be like her father, a cute redhead, I was thinking we name her, if she's a her, Lena. It means torch. And I think it's more fitting than the other names," he told me as he put his hand on my stomach. It was weird, it was like the baby knew its father was touching because the baby would just start wildly kicking for him, like a little soccer game.

"That's perfect… if it's a girl," I said as a nurse came out.

"Sylvia?" She said my name, the two of us stood up. "Come on back," the woman smiled.

 **The Cave**

 **A few hours later**

Wally and I had just came through the zeta tube, so excited to tell Nightwing our news. He, Superboy, and Mal were sitting at the holocomputer. I was ready to finally let them know who the winners were in the Team-wide bets on which gender the little one is. As soon as my brother saw, me, he tapped the other two, letting them know we were here. I thought the computer would have tipped them off, but they must've been too engrossed in their mission planning. Tonight was important. As we approached, I noticed Mal crossing his fingers.

"So?" Mal asked excitedly.

"What is it?" Superboy asked. My brother just smirked. I was starting to think that my face gave it away for him. He and Superboy lost the bet.

"Well, hopefully on July 20th, we will be expecting the arrival of one Lena West," I told them, and Mal did a rather loud _WHOOP_ in excitement. He and a couple others won the bet. Nightwing moved to hug me, but stopped when he got a rather big jolt of static.

"Wow, were you scooting your feet on some carpet before you got here?" Dick asked and I laughed.

"I don't think so…" I half joked, looking at Wally. He just put his hands up in defeat.

"You know what happens when to metas get together. It's not my fault," He laughed before putting his arms around me. He wasn't shocked, not even a little bit. But then when Wally let go of me, Mal decided to poke me, and he was shocked too. Wally noticed this and poked me, not getting shocked. "Mal, what happens when you poke me?" Wally asked.

"I don't know," Mal said, then poked Wally. "Oh, just a little static shock," Mal said and I noticed that Wally was vibrating slightly. Like he was trying to get the energy building up within himself, like when he throws lightning. He can't do it as strongly as Barry, but he can do it. I just pinched the bridge of my nose.

"If I have a child, who will be running around our house at the speed of sound before they're out of diapers, I will kill you," I said as I looked at Wally with dead eyes. I was starting to realize that I was using the stoic and rather malevolent glare that I inherited from my father when Wally looked at me, all bug-eyed and wary. The moment when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Tori, had just gotten out of her college classes and was ready for me to come over.

"What is it?" Wally asked, as I put my phone away.

"I gotta go for my girl's night with Tori and Lenny. I'll see you tonight?" I told him and he smiled, giving me a hug as he kissed the top of my head.

"Yeah, I'll see you when you get home." Wally gave me a hug and I kissed him, having to get on my tiptoes and pull his face to mine a bit to get around the rather large stomach between us. Just as I got in the zeta tube to leave, I could hear the computer announce the arrival of Artemis. I'm supposed to hang out with her tomorrow.

When I emerged from the Zeta Tube, I found myself in the familiar alleyway. I just stashed my coat in the designated Zeta cache and straightened my long sleeve maternity shirt and pulled up my leggings a bit before shifting the weight of my purse on my shoulder and walked towards the street. I hailed a cab and climbed in, the driver taking me to Tori's house out in the suburbs. As I watched out the window, it was house after house until I finally arrived at the two girls' home. I was excited to ask Tori how college has been treating her lately. She's been attending one right here in Coast City so she can take care of Lenore while her father is at work. When I paid my fair and got out of the cab, I barely made it to the door before it burst open, Tori, excitedly running down her little front walk way in a blur of platinum hair. She finally bleached it.

"Hi! Oh my god, you have to tell me what gender it is!" She was so excited, jumping up and down. I could barely contain myself as her excitement rubbed off on me. I knew I couldn't jump, but I was just shaking, wanting to tell her so badly that we were having a little Lena.

"Let's go inside first," I laughed, grabbing her hand and leading her inside. Lenore was standing in the doorway, smiling and waiting for the same verdict as her older sister. The two of them led me to the kitchen and the three of us sad down for dinner. It was a bunch of chinese food and a variety of dessert foods since it was girls night and I was pregnant. We all went in for noodles, steamed vegetables, chicken, pork, beef, rice, different sauces, and I started hording the crab rangoons.

"So, now that we all have her food, _please tell us_!" Tori begged.

"Come on, please!" Lenore grabbed my arm from across the table. I smirked and decided to get clever with it. I looked to the dish of cupcakes and scanned them for the flavor I was looking for. With a rather large smile, I looked at them with big eyes as I grabbed a yellow cake cupcake with pink frosting. I took a bite as they started to figure it out.

"Oh my god it's a girl!" Tori was so excited as she squealed and jumped out of her chair. She ran around the table and gave me a hug, hugging my stomach, then giving me another hug. The night went on with us eating out dinner and taking all of the desserts into the living room for movie night. It started with _10 Things I Hate About You_ , then it went to _Knocked Up_ , and once it got really late they turned on _Pitch Perfect_. The three of them lived for these movies, singing along, quoting the movies as it went, bringing up the same confusions and controversies that they brought up every time that they watched these films. Lenore had fallen asleep on the floor, her mouth wide open, causing Tori and I to chuckle quietly a bit to ourselves. When Tori fell asleep on me, I fell asleep, my head leaning on top of hers. The three of us were soon blissfully unaware of the movie playing before us. We had only made it halfway through. I woke up to my baby kicking very quickly, the way she only kicks when her father is around.

"Hey, I came to see you," he whispered. "It's time to go," his face was sullen. I nodded and wheedled out from my spot with Tori. Her eyes blinked open.

"Going home?" She asked and I nodded but Wally shook his head.

"We're going to the cave. I came to get you too," Wally told the two of us. We looked at each other and shrugged, probably mutually assuming that Tori was needed for a mission and Wally was just getting her since he was on the way to get me, but that made no real sense. If it was a pending mission, they would have messaged her on her comm. The two of us made our way outside with Wally herding us like cattle, but I made him stop for a moment and grab a plate of desserts. I piled on cupcakes and cookies and little candies for him to take with us. I was just so hungry that I was contently eating my little snacks as we took a cab that he had waiting for us back to the downtown zeta tube. As we stood outside the teleporter, Wally took a second. I knew the look on his face. He was about to tell us something, and I was hoping it would be why he looked so down and sullen. Tori and I were as happy as we could be, aside from being really sleepy.

"Wally, what is it?" I asked him, Tori's eyes flitting between the two of us, then staring at Wally expectantly.

"The mission tonight… To protect the satellite to bridge communications with Mars… The Team failed…" He took a moment, making a face that I knew to be his thinking face, he wasn't quite sure how to say his next statement.

"Is that it?" Tori asked, still watching him with expectant eyes. I was waiting, but the longer he took to figure out how the words should be strung from his mouth, the heavier my heart grew. I knew that look on his face. I had seen that look many times on many different people. Once was on my father's face, the day I woke up in that hospital and they had told me that my littlest bird had been murdered, the day I was told that my newest brother was dead.

"Who is it?" I asked Wally, and he sighed, looking at the concrete of the alleyway.

"It's Artemis. Nightwing reported that Aqualad ran her through with a sword," Wally said, and Tori seemed like someone broke her heart like a hammer with a glass antique.

"Let's go then," I told him, holding myself together the best I could. The two of us hadn't talked in a while since I joined the League and she decided to take a break from being a hero while she was in college. But, nevertheless, she was my sister. The three of us got in the Zeta-tube and came out the other side into the Cave. Everyone was mourning, and everyone was out of their uniforms aside from Nightwing.

People were standing around, but M'gann was on the couch. I set my plate of deserts and moved to sit with her. I saw Connor, looking at M'gann with sad eyes, and I grabbed his wrist to come with me, but he pulled his hand from my grasp and stayed where he was. I sat down with M'gann as Garfield started to console her. When I sat down, she let go of the younger boy, snuggling up to me as she cried. Wally found a place at my side on the couch, his hand finding it's way to my stomach as it always did, but the little one did not kick. I wondered if she knew how distressed I was, or how distressed everyone else was, but I knew she was probably asleep. It was late. I was extremely tired, but I had to be there for everyone. We were all here for eachother. But I realized someone was missing. My brother was here just moments ago, but I was sure he hadn't left quite yet. I stood up and went to track him when I caught an exchange between Connor and Mal.

"Where's Nightwing? He should be here. Hell, his pregnant sister is here," Mal said, and Superboy just looked at him.

"He went to tell her Mother," Superboy informed him as I sped out of the room. I was starting to feel my side cramping as I walked to my brother. He was just about to walk into the zeta-tube.

"Hey!" I shouted, nearly screaming at him. He stopped and walked back out of the tube and approached me. I could feel myself breaking as the cramp in my side grew worse. I could feel my face growing hot and tears welling in my eyes.

"Sylvia, maybe you should go back to the others, maybe we can get you to sit down," He started to have a worried look on his face.

"No!" I yelled at him. I took a second to calm down, but I was still trying to speak to him through the pain. "It was her first mission back, and you let her die. How could you not have stopped her? They said it was Aqualad who killed her, so what I want to know is why did you let her take him on, all on her own? Huh? You basically killed her!" I nearly started laughing, I was hysterical. The pain in my side grew sharper and it began to spread. I thought that maybe it was just me stressing out, that my body was reacting to the stress.

"Sylvia, it was no one's fault. Aqualad is just not what he used to be, and he killed her," he tried to reason with me, trying to calm me down, but it was no longer the sadness of her death. The pain was taking over.

"Dick," I looked at him, remembering only after that I wasn't supposed to say his name out loud like that when he's in costume. "Go get Wally," I told him in a shaky voice. My legs were shaking. Something was very wrong. Nightwing ran off to get Wally, but I was starting to get light headed. It was like a horrible cramp just consuming me. My legs were growing week. I could hear the two of them rushing down the corridor, but before I could see them, my vision blurred. It that moment, that I collapsed.


	58. Complications

**Wally West**

 **Happy Harbor Hospital**

 **March 21st, 2016**

Sylvia had been in the hospital for the past two days, and we were finally checking out, but it didn't feel right. She had gone into premature labor, apparently due to extreme stress, but it didn't seem right. Someone like her can handle stress, especially when a loved one passes, she was all to experienced with that, especially now. I was positive that it all happened for a different reason, so now that the doctors have stabilized her and the baby is fine and still our little unborn daughter. They told her that for the rest of her pregnancy, she has to stay off her feet, but we all know she won't do that because, as frustrating as it is to me, she refuses to believe that regular pregnancy guidelines for regular women don't apply to her because of her altered physiology.

When Dick had come to get me from the living room of the Cave, I had immediately known that something was wrong. I saw her hit the floor, and I had gone into full panic mode. My heart dropped and I picked my pregnant girlfriend in my arms, rushing her out of the Cave and running her to the Happy Harbor Hospital. When Sylvia regained consciousness in the emergency room, she was immediately crying out in pain. It pained me to see her like that, and all I could do was hold her hand, no matter how tight her grip got. It was a while before they gave her sedatives and medication to reverse the labor. She was crying for a while, telling me that she wasn't ready. She kept telling me that she couldn't do it without her dad. Before she drifted asleep from the sedative, she told me she was afraid, so I just crawled into the hospital bed with her and told her how much I loved her until she slipped into some much needed sleep after hours of agony.

At this point, I'm not trusting regular doctors. I went to the nurse's station and requested copies of the medical documents recording everything about this hospital visit. When I returned to the room, there she was, just walking around, getting dressed. Alfred had been here, he went to our place in Miami and grabbed us some clothes and necessities since we didn't know how long she'd be in the hospital. Like she wasn't even cold in the sterile hospital air, she walked around in a very loosely fitted dress that ended at her lower thigh, just an inch or two above the knee. The short sleeve dress had thin, burgundy and white stripes. I remembered her wearing it just the other week, the two of us laying in the sun on our balcony. Everything was so peaceful until I was starting to notice how different this pregnancy was. Considering Sylvia is what she is and I am what I am, it's not surprising that the baby would be different, but I never expected there to be complications like what happened the other night. After the death of Jason, Tula, of Artemis, I didn't want to lose anyone else, especially not her.

"So, where are you taking me?" Sylvia asked as she pulled on a black knit sweater. I grabbed her socks and shoes off the table in the corner and handed them to her.

"I'm taking you to Caitlin and Cisco. I want a second opinion," I told her, grabbing our things up from around the room.

"Aw, worried about your little girl?" She laughed, rubbing her stomach.

"Yes, but I'm a bit more worried about the mommy carrying my little girl and since your dad isn't here to talk some sense into you, I'm going to have to drag you to Central City myself and make you realize that you're not invincible right now, as much as you seem to think you are." The second I finished talking to her she went silent. Like the words that came out of my mouth were a shock to her. She had that look in her eyes that it made you feel like gears were turning behind her eyes. I knew that look, it was the face she would make when she was thinking a little too hard on something she thought she understood. Her eyebrows would knit ever so slightly and the left corner of her mouth would just barely dip down into a miniscule, half frown. In silence, I grabbed our two bags and took her hand, forcing her to sit in the wheelchair a nurse had brought around. I wheeled her down the hall to the elevator. As we took it down to the ground floor, I texted Dick and made sure he was waiting for me. He was in civvies, sitting in the front seat of a black sedan. There were a few of those in the Cave Hangar for when the residents there needed them.

"Ready?" Dick asked as Sylvia took her seat in the back. I climbed into the front seat, glancing at my girlfriend in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, let's go," I told him. The car began to move and Sylvia was dead silent. She just leaned to the side against the door, folding her arms on the little ledge and resting her head on it. I heard her sigh as her big green eyes watched the landscape rolled by. Her long, raven hair was in disarray from the hospital visit, strewn around all over. She pulled the majority of it to the side and I almost chuckled to myself. Her hair was covering her pregnant belly, reminding me of how she would sit like this in the car back when we were all just middle schoolers when Dick and I had just started out and Sylvia hadn't been taken yet. Back when she was just a regular human having sleepovers with Bette and being annoyed by her little brother. We pulled up to Mount Justice and drove down into the hangar. I got out of the car first, opening Sylvia's door and offering my hand. She took it as Dick grabbed our bag from the trunk. Without warning, a bleary-eyed M'gann flew into the room, rushing towards Sylvia. Dick put his hand up for her to stop.

"M'gann, why don't you slow down?" Dick said in a soft voice. "She has to avoid stress," he informed her. Sylvia chuckled.

"Jeez, Dick, I'm fine and you know what?" She yanked her arm from mine. "I can walk on my own you know?" She barked at me. I put my hands up in surrender and grabbed our bag from Dick.

"Are you going to be okay?" M'gann wondered, sniffling a bit afterward. Sylvia just went ahead and hugged M'gann, holding her tightly like she did the other night when Artemis died.

"I am going to be fine," she told M'gann as she pulled away, giving the Martian a smile before letting go. "Wally's taking me to S.T.A.R Labs to sort this all out, everything's gonna be fine," she promised her, but even I felt like that was an empty promise. We didn't know what was going to happen.

"Okay, well come back to the Cave the next time you can. We all miss you guys hanging around here," M'gann told Sylvia, and she just nodded.

"See you later, M'gann." She hugged the Martian once again and took my hand. I was starting to realize that Sylvia was figuring out that she should be worrying right now, like I have been since I found her collapsed on the floor of the mission room, right here in this facility. Dick had hugged his sister and vanished off to run the training in the missions, taking M'gann with him.

"Here we go, I guess," I exhaled deeply, walking my girlfriend to the Zeta Tube. I programmed it to take us to S.T.A.R. Labs, and off we went. When we came out on the other side, Caitlyn was already waiting for us with a wheelchair.

"Hi, guys," She said, gesturing for Sylvia to take a seat. With a sheepish expression, Sylvia let go of my arm and took a seat. She seemed uncomfortable being wheeled around, but I was happy to push the chair as we followed Caitlyn. It was an awkward silence. But when we met up with Cisco, he seemed more chipper than usual.

"And how is the little Lena?" Cisco asked as he ran over nearly tickled Sylvia's pregnant belly. I couldn't help but laugh. Sylvia was grinning from ear to ear, back to the state she was in earlier.

"She's settling down, tried to escape the other night, not too happy about that," Sylvia explained. I was honestly just glad that she still had a sense of humor.

"Well, we definitely don't want that, so that's why Walls brought you to us," Cisco smiled, walking over to the medical equipment they seemed to all be setting up. Caitlyn came over and handed Sylvia a pair of S.T.A.R. Labs sweatpants and a tank top for her to put on.

* * *

 **A few hours later**

We had Sylvia set up on a bed in the other room. She started to feel really tired, so we let her sleep. Cisco handed me a glass of water, but I just held it, waiting for Caitlyn. When she came back from checking on Sylvia, she took a seat across from me, next to Cisco.

"So? What's the verdict?" I asked. Caitlyn sighed.

"Wally, we discovered some very important things that will help us to everything we can to try and ensure that Sylvia can carry to full term," Caitlyn began. "What's happening in the womb, isn't necessarily her physiology, though anyone else with her physiology without her mindset would come into problems with what doctors like to call a _hostile uterus_ triggered by stress, like the other night. But she can handle it. What's really putting a strain on Sylvia, is Lena's own physiology. Sure, she shares some factors with her mother, but she has more in common with you and Barry than anything. Since we've never experienced a speedster fetus, we didn't know what we were supposed to be watching out for. Sylvia is having trouble because Lena's high metabolism is already established, and it's making Sylvia weaker because she's not keeping up with the baby's dietary needs in addition to her own. Basically, she needs to eat a bit more like you and Barry to keep up," Caitlyn finished and I released a sigh of relief.

"So I just need to get my girlfriend to eat more, that's actually a lot easier than some crazy medical protocol," I was starting to feel a bit better about Sylvia's condition. I honestly just feel really guilty whenever she gets sick, the baby kicks to hard, or when I think about her going into premature labor the other night. She wouldn't have any of this pain if I hadn't gotten her pregnant. Though, I don't regret anything with her, I still feel bad that it's kind of my fault.

"I know you only came here for your baby, but we also found out something else that you should know," Cisco said, catching me off guard.

"What?" I just looked at him.

"Upon Cisco's request, I cross examined your DNA sample that we took today, your baby's, Bart's, and Barry's. All three of your meta-genes for superspeed are identical," Caitlyn said, Cisco was just grinning from ear to ear.

"And?" I wasn't really in the mood to hear about me having a slower speed than Barry. Cisco was starting to get more and more excited, unable to sit still.

"Wally, we think you have the same speed capabilities as Barry," Cisco told me. The second the words came out of his mouth, the glass of water in my hand slipped, crashing upon the linoleum.


	59. Brother's Keeper

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Miami, Florida**

 **May 26th, 2016**

It was maybe four in the morning, and I wasn't able to sleep. Instead, I let Wally sleep, leaving him a note and driving to the beach. When I got there, I pulled off my swimsuit cover up and left it on the shore. I kept thinking, maybe I should leave my comm in the sand with the dress, but the thing was waterproof and Wally would worry if he woke up and I didn't answer. Neither of us were supposed to worry, but it was especially a problem if I did so. So I just sat on the edge of the water, letting the tide wash past me, rocking me back and forth. It was still dark enough that when I looked up, I could see the moon against the black. I wished I could see the stars, but I knew the beach was still too close to downtown Miami. The light pollution kept me from seeing them. It sort of made me homesick. Back in Gotham, the Manor was just far enough outside the downtown area that we could still see the stars. I would just lay down in the grass and watch the sky. I could remember the last time I did was busy with Kid Flash business, so I was hanging out with Jason, and the two of us just laid in the grass and watched the stars twinkle against the night.

Tonight, I leaned back in the water, resting on one elbow and resting my free hand on my stomach. I could feel my little Lena moving around. I was just over seven months along and at this moment, I felt like a whale and I missed being able to see my toes. But it wouldn't be long, I had just under two months left till I could hold this little girl in my arms for real. I couldn't help but want to sing to her. When she came out I just wanted to sing to her all the time. I wanted to sing her lullabies like Alfred and my father sang to me. I started humming Rue's lullaby to my little girl when I began to hear someone approach from behind me. When I jolted, ready to stand up, the voice caught me off-guard.

"Don't get up, please," he told me, walking over. It was a rather tall teenager with thick black hair and red swim trunks on. He waded into the water and sat down with me. I could swear my heart stopped when I saw his face.

"Jason!" I gasped, grabbing onto him and hugging him. I couldn't let go.

"I'm really sorry," he told me. I pulled back and just focused on his face, remind myself of every little detail and finding new ones.

"I thought I was going crazy when I saw you that Christmas, out in the snow," I began to cry, unable to hold back the tears. I hugged him again and this time he hugged me back. I remembered seeing him, the night I stood in the snow without a coat. But this time, he was real. I'm not crazy. He's here, like he never left. But I knew I couldn't let go of the fact that he's been alive these past few years and won't return home.

"I know, I'm sorry. I was trying to stay dead, out of the picture, but I had to see you," he looked down at my stomach. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he told me.

"How are you alive?" I asked him, but he shook his head.

"It's not safe," He told me, and my heart picked up. I started to panic, but I knew I needed to breathe. I wasn't supposed to stress myself out.

"You can trust me, I'm your sister," I assured him, but he shook his head.

"You don't understand. It's not safe, not for me or you. I'm risking everything to come and talk to you," Jason, took both of my hand and held them for a moment, making me sit up in the water.

"What do you mean?" He was beginning to scare me and I wasn't quite sure how to react in this moment.

"You aren't safe. Listen, I know that some of the Leaguers are off-world. After our encounter, I need you to act like nothing has happened and you can tell no one that I was here. Do you understand?" Jason waited for me to nod and once I did, he got right back into it. "You're running out of time. Just a few weeks ago, the Light received a particular request from the Reach. The Aliens' science officers were given access to yours and Tori's files since the two of you were apart of a study similar to what the Reach was conducting on their humans previously. The Light has an up to date file on you, the pregnancy, that Wally is a speedster, where you live, where you go to school, everything. The Reach was given access, therefore they know about you. They want you, they want Wally, and they especially want your baby. I need you to make it clear to Wally that the two of you are in danger, but he can't know that it was me who told you. I love you, Sylvia, and I'm so sorry that you're going to have to be looking over your shoulder until the Reach are gone, but this is very important." Jason stood up in the water and offered me a hand. I stood up with him.

"Jason, this is crazy. The Light made it clear that they're done with me," I told him, walking out of the water to grab my towel and swimsuit cover up. At this point, I just wanted to go home and snuggle up to Wally. Right at that moment, I didn't care how tired my boyfriend was from working with Cisco on whatever it is they've been messing around with since my preliminary visit to S.T.A.R. Labs.

"The Light may have given up on their endeavors when you stole their only other surviving meta, but the Reach is only just getting started. I don't think you understand how interested they are in what your physiology can offer them in terms of the scientific advancement of their research into the human metagene. If they had you and Wally, they would gain access to a fetus, a compatible genome since you procreated with Wally despite what your file calls a hostile uterus, and they would have a supply of ova from you, the Light's original specimen. They're coming for you," he told me once again.

"Okay, I understand," I told him, but I had a different idea on how to protect myself and Wally from the impending threat.

"Not just that, Sylvia. You shouldn't be out at night like this, and especially not alone. If you leave right now," he checked his watch, " I want you to look at the vacant lot across from where you parked, and I want you to listen to everything in the area, then start your car and get home. Just trust me okay?"

"Okay," I told him, slightly nervous. I grabbed my cover up and put it on. I threw my bag over my shoulder and immediately hugged my brother.

"Stay safe, okay?" I placed my hand on his cheek, gazing into those blue eyes that I've been longing to see since the day they told me he was gone. He placed his hand over top of my own.

"I will, now go." He let go, turned and ran. I just turned and walked, finding my way back to where I had parked my car. I was careful not to arise suspicion of anyone was watching me by acting like nothing had happened on the Beach. When I got into my car, I did exactly as Jason had instructed. Off in the lot, there was a strange pair of yellow eyes, watching me from beyond some sacks of loose gravel. I took a deep breath, focusing on what I could hear. What I heard was the same strange chittering I often got from Blue Beetle's scarab when it's operating.

I couldn't sit and listen for long, so I started the car and drove back to my apartment, wanting to just crawl into bed with Wally at this point. That's exactly what I did when I made it home. I crawled into bed, snuggling up to my slumbering boyfriend. He mindlessly shifted, putting his arm around me and holding me close. I just laid there, studying his face. I smelled him, reminding myself that my home is supposed to smell like old spice and cooking in a kitchen. I reached up and touched his red hair, feeling the soft fiery strands between my fingers. I never wanted to forget this, what he looks like when he's at piece. In that moment, I finally felt weary, falling asleep in his arms.

I wasn't quite awake yet when I felt something nudging me. I groaned, thinking it was Wally trying to wake me up before I wanted to get up. The more it persisted, the more I was starting to realize that the nudging was my little Lena waking up in the womb. I just wanted to sleep, but she just persisted and persisted. When I opened my eyes, the bed was empty. For a second I was worried, but then I smelled sausages cooking, paired with the sound of crackling oil emanating from our kitchen. When I climbed out of bed, I realized I had gone to sleep in Wally's t-shirt that he had left lying on the floor when he took it off to sleep in his boxers last night. I remembered last night was a bit more hot and humid than usual so he took it off.

"Ugh, babe, I love you," I told him as I found that there were freshly made waffles stacked on the counter as he stood at the stove, cooking sausages. In the back of my mind, I knew I couldn't ruin this morning, so I decided to hold off a little longer on telling him about Jason's warning.

* * *

 **Watchtower**

 **Later That Day**

"The Team has been deployed. I have to coordinate, but are you all set here?" Nightwing asked. I stood there, in the League's mission room, hastily dress in a floral, loosely fitted dress and a long white sweater. I my white slip-on vans squeaked against the floor as I turned away from the holocomputer to look at my brother. I was so hard not to tell him about Jason, but I had promised to keep his survival a secret.

"Yeah, I'm all set. Brought some oreos and a jar of peanut butter from home," I shrugged, sitting down on the familiar bed. They had me holed up in the same room I was in when I was getting my original treatments after my episode with Superboy. Oddly enough, my paintings of the stars were still here, right along with the easel and the remaining unused paint. I almost hated being in here.

"Alright," my brother stated before moving to walk out, "I'll check on you when I can. In the meantime, others may pop in, but probably not since we've got our hands pretty full with the War World." Nightwing just rushed out before I could say anything else. He locked the door behind himself, and once again, I was trapped. This time I technically wasn't alone, but I also technically was alone. I could feel little Lena kicking in my stomach, giving me a little reassurance. She reminded me why they locked me in here. I had told Wally about what Jason told me, how the Reach wanted to study us, especially our baby. Naturally, when he found out about the War World coming to Earth, he sent me up here to the Watchtower for my safety. He assumed that with all the chaos and heroes being preoccupied with the attack, the Reach might make their move when no one can stop them. I couldn't argue with him, but he went all over the apartment, packing everything he thought I might need into one big suitcase.

I stared at the black bag by the door, not wanting to even touch the thing, in fear of not packing it back up until after I give birth. There was no way I was going to be spending the next two months in solitary. I activated the Holocomputer and began following the news surrounding the War World. I started to catch clips of Wally and Barry in costume, rescuing people from the missiles that made it past Doctor Fate's shields. It was nice to see him doing hero work, but there was one thing that started to bother me. I paused, rewound, fast forwarded, paused, slow-moed the clips that keeps coming up of the two speedstars. Wally's yellow and red streak was different. I keeps checking and checking and checking. Then, it finally hit me. Wally was catching up to Barry.


	60. Endgame Part 1

**Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"**

 **Gotham**

 **June 20th, 2017**

I was having an early breakfast with Alfred downtown. It was maybe six o'clock in the morning. I hadn't seen him so long, and I needed one of my father figures right about now. I had one month left to go, and I was getting nervous. At the same time, I also felt like a whale. I was bigger than ever, and at this point, I was just irritated that I could barely scoot into the table we were sitting at in this little Cafe in the park. I looked over to the fountain as a waitress brought us our food. I really missed my early bird mornings with Alfred. He was always up early with me whenever I had trouble getting back to sleep.

"Something on your mind?" He asked me, and I snapped back to reality, looking away from the fountain. He looked out of place this morning, as it wasn't often that one saw him in cargo pants and a casual short sleeve buttondown.

"Not really, just reminiscing. Everything has changed so much. I'm just hoping that Miss Martian and Superboy come back with the six Leaguers. I miss my dad," I admitted, taking a bite of my breakfast sandwich. It felt good to eat something warm as the two of us sat in the brisk morning wind. Despite the sunshine, Gotham wasn't exactly the warmest climate, not like my home in Miami.

"One could hope," Alfred smiled, sipping from his coffee. It felt so nice to have a casual day with him. It wasn't often that anyone had one of those with him. The last time Alfred was casual with me, was the trip to Martha's vineyard when Dick had just been adopted.

"So, how has it been, holding down the fort while he's away?" I asked, referring to my absent father.

"Honestly, Master Tim is a very easy child. No high school drama like you and Dick. The house is fine, nothing eventful has happened aside from maybe a few of Master Tim's friends coming from time to time," Alfred chuckled, and I wasn't surprised. If the, technically five, Batkids were music genres at the training age, I was heavy metal, Dick was jazz, Jason was alternative dubstep, Barbara was the classic hits, and Tim was straight up top forty.

"It's good that it won't even feel like he left," I said, once again referring to my father. But in that moment, I began to hear a humming sound coming from the fountain.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Alfred exclaimed as three unidentified objects flew out of the water, two drones that seemed to be armed and ready, and a third item that acted like a central pillar with a ball of energy whirring at the top. Everyone in the surrounding area seemed to stop. I was doing my best not to stress out, but I was beginning to panic. What made matters worse was the darkening skies above, black clouds engulfing the blue of what was supposed to be a beautiful morning. The tech began chittering, just like the Reach technology. We were under attack. Lightning began to strike like crazy. Just like that, tornadoes began to funnel, trying to touch down, but struggling. Tables and empty chairs were flying about as people ran screaming. I could feel my own adrenaline kicking in when I saw a little girl running and crying for her mommy. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a motorcycle lifted into a funnel and released, sending it straight for the girl. I bolted into action, running for her and pushing her out of the way. I grabbed her and ran her over to Alfred.

"You should not be doing things like that, Master Sylvia! Your father would have my head!" He yelled at me, taking the little girl's hand as the two of us ran. I looked back, seeing the little drones firing energy cannons upon people who got to close to the center pillar. Gotham had descended into chaos. I got on my comm as Alfred and I got the little girl to her mother who was calling out for her on the edge of the park plaza.

"Wildcat to Watchtower! There's Reach Tech here in Gotham!" I pulled out my holocomputer and scanned the tech before turning and running to the car with Alfred. "All around the Tech, magnetic fields are being altered and disrupted! We need assistance right now!" I yelled into my comm, but before I got into the car, my own panic got the best of me.

"What are you doing? Get in the car!" Alfred yelled, but I was already on my knees. This time, I knew there was no turning back as my leggings grew damp.

"Watchtower to Wildcat, zeta here immediately!" I heard Nightwing on the other end of my comm. I cried out in pain, unable to hold it back now.

"Master Sylvia!" Alfred yelled and I struggled to pull myself into the car.

"Nightwing! Which is closer to my coordinates? Gotham General or the Zetatube?" I screamed into the comm as Alfred slammed his foot down onto the gas. The car lurched.

"Gotham General… What's happening?" Nightwing asked as I felt the car swerve to avoid debris from the storm.

"This is not happening! This is not happening!" I screamed, clutching my stomach. "You are not coming out today!" I screamed at my unborn child. I couldn't take it.

"Sylvia! What is going on?!" Nightwing yelled in my comm. Before I could answer, Lightening struck and the car flipped. When the car settled, rocking slightly in the wind, I got back on the comm.

"Nightwing, get a hold of Wally, tell him Alfred and I are in the turned over mercedes at the intersection Adams and State. If you don't, I don't think I'm gonna make to the goddamn hospital!" I screamed into the comm. I looked to Alfred, and he was already getting himself out of his seat and climbing through the shattered windshield. The seatbelt wouldn't budge, so I gave up and used my claws to shred the restraint, dropping myself from the seat onto the broken remnants of the car windows. I couldn't even pull myself out I was in so much pain. Something was very, very wrong.

"Sylvia, I know this is difficult, but I need you to breathe," Alfred told me. I could feel his hand on my back, trying to reassure me. That was when the rain started. I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand, slowly climbing out of the car despite the immense amount of pain.

"Alfred!" I screamed as I had a rather extreme contraction.

"I know it hurts, but you have to hold on, you know help is coming," He told me as he helped me stand up.

"I can't walk like this," I cried as I fell to my knees once again. The rain was soaking me from head to toe as I gripped his hand. I opened an open channel to all comms, knowing I didn't have time to set a specific channel.

"You stupid speedster! If you don't get your ass to Gotham, I'm having your baby right in the goddamn middle of a shit-storm-Reach-apocalypse!" I yelled into the comm, struggling to stand up again to try and walk with Alfred. We barely made it five feet before I started to crumble.

"You can do this, Sylvia, just hold on," Alfred told me as he kneeled next to me.

"But I can't! This can't happen yet!" I cried. I was so afraid. "I can't do it without my dad! I need my dad," I cried, gripping Alfred tightly.

"Yes you can, you can do this," he told me. I screamed out as I tried to stand again, determined to get somewhere safe, but that's when I fell back, unable to stop myself. I saw a blur of red and yellow before everything went black.

* * *

 **Wally West "Kid Flash"**

 **Gotham General**

I was panicking. I was lucky that I was fast enough to get to her, and I was panicking. Sylvia was in the emergency room, surrounded by a sadly familiar set of doctors that were trying to asses the job they had ahead of themselves. She was unconscious when I brought her in, and I was waiting in the corner of the room, keeping a watchful eye. One second, I was worried if she was going to wake up, the next second I was pained with guilt as her eyes fluttered open and she started screaming.

"I can't do this!" She screamed. "Let go of me!" She snapped at the doctor, so I moved to intervene.

"Hey, you're okay. You're gonna be fine, you just need to cooperate with the doctors," I told her, holding her hand. "Hey, can I keep holding her hand and you guys just work around me? Does that work?" I asked and the nurse nodded.

"No! I can't do this," She was crying now between screams and contractions. "I need my dad," she sobbed as a doctor did an ultrasound.

"Ma'am?" The doctor got Sylvia's attention. "We have to prep you for surgery, the sooner we get your baby out the better," they told her. She began panicking even more.

"Okay, fine," she told them, taking deep breaths now. "Just put me out now and get it over with," She told them and almost immediately, the nurse when to grab an anesthetic drip to put up with Sylvia's IV bag. Another contraction hit and she bit back her cries, groaning loudly through her teeth. I took my free hand and stroked her hair.

"I will be here when you wake up, okay? I promise, everything is going to be okay," I told her, not actually sure how this was going to play out. But I had to reassure her. Her eyes began to droop as she slipped away.

"I love you," She whispered so low that only I would hear.

"I love you, too," I whispered back, kissing her on the forehead. I heard her whimper with the next contraction, then she was gone. I let go of her hand, just standing there as they put up the side rails of her bed and went on the move, taking her away. I knew she would be out cold for a while after the surgery, so I went to Alfred in the lobby. The two of us sat together, Kid Flash and the Wayne Family's Butler. We kept getting some strange looks, and a couple children and teenagers came up to me, asking for an autograph or if I'm the real Kid Flash, so I'd do something super-speed like and give them autographs and let them take pictures. When they ask me why I'm here, I tell them I'm waiting for a friend in surgery. After I'd tell them, they would get all sullen and uncomfortable, leaving me be and giving me space. After a few hours, my comm went off.

"Watchtower to Kid Flash. This is Captain Atom. We need all hands on deck, but I know you have a conflict of interest. Can you come in?" Atom asked, immediately making me conflicted. I couldn't leave, but I couldn't just sit by as storms raged outside and the world went to shit.

"Alfred, I know I should be here for when my child comes into the world, but there won't a world for her if I don't go out there and help-" I started but he raised a hand.

"I completely understand. I will contact Mrs. Kyle and see if she can come and wait with me for Sylvia. I'm sure she would be more than capable of protecting them if the Reach decide to try anything before the end of all this. Go, be a hero," he told me with a proud look. I nodded, got up, and ran. The world was a blur for a moment, then my eyes began to adjust. Ever since I started working with Cisco and Caitlin, I've gotten faster and faster, and my eyes and brain function have been catching up to. Caitlyn was starting to think that I had the capabilities all along, but my psyche suppressed my ability so as not to draw away from my childhood hero, who was my Uncle Barry. As I ran, it only took a few minutes for me to get from Gotham to Metropolis where Captain Atom said the coordination was starting at.


	61. Endgame Part 2

**Wally West "Kid Flash"**

 **Metropolis**

 **June 20th, 2017**

Lex Luthor was working with Blue Beetle to produce these blue pill looking devices and programming them with a flash drive.

"Just a few more should do it," Blue Beetle said as he handed off another device to Lex Luthor.

"You will all be issued multiple Reach Tech Eggs," Lex lifted one of the blue devices, "containing my anti-Reach virus software," he informed us all has he plugged in the flash drive to the egg, arming the device. "While one hero runs interference with the drones, the other only has to physically touch his or her egg against an MFD to disable it," He informed the group as Captain Atom stepped up.

"All right, I have your assignments," he began. "We'll distribute these eggs and go."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, The fate of the world is in your hands," Lex said as every hero grabbed an egg. I wasn't quite sure who I was paired up with until Artemis came up to me with an egg.

"You're with me," She smiled and I laughed.

"If you can keep up," I told her. She hopped on my back just like she always did when we got paired up.

"Just don't drop me, Wall-man," She laughed.

"Not gonna lie, I'm still happy you're alive," I told her before we bolted for the zeta tube.

* * *

 **Paris, France**

There were Tornadoes everywhere. The two of us were both running interference, trying to test the drones so we can find the best strategy. I wanted to just run and put the egg, but Artemis was too proud to let me do all the work. At this point, with my rising speed, I could do it faster than she could tell me no, but I respected her too much. The drones began to learn, beginning to leave me alone and target Artemis. The bus behind her exploded, causing me to bolt, sweeping her up in my arms and running her away from the blast. I didn't dare put her down, not till I made her give me a plan.

"Ah, ze Eiffel Tower," I joked in a french accent, "and the ever romantic city of lights! Remind me to take Sylvia here when all this is over," I told the blonde archer as I ran her around the perimeter.

"You got it kid, get the egg, drop me and go," she told me. I reached into her quiver and grabbed the egg before putting her down. She fired an emf arrow, the two drones getting electrified, and magnetically pulled together in an explosion. I bolted and touched the egg to the MFD. The energy field stopped and the device deactivated.

"Omega Squad has successfully deactivated the MFD," Artemis reported, as I ran up to her. She knew exactly what was happening and put her hand up, I gave her a damn good hi-five .

"Omega squad, report to the Watchtower," We heard in our comms.

"Copy that," the two of us said in sync as she hopped on my back again and I ran to the zeta tube.

When we appeared in the zeta tubes of the Watchtower, we were joining Mr. Carr, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Green Arrow, and the Atom. Mr. Carr was coordinating all the teams simultaneously, and it was impressive.

"Asami has deployed the egg and disabled the MFD," I heard Black Canary say on the comm.

"Good Work, Theta! Twenty squads deployed, 20 MFDs destroyed. The mission was a success, we have done it!" Mr. Carr celebrated, giving us all an air of relief.

"In that case…" I turned to walk away, go back to Sylvia, but something pulled me back.

"We missed on," The Atom said as he send a hologram to the front of the room. "The Earth's magnetic field is still being disrupted," we all noticed the scan of the planet with the red lines showing the disruption. Then, an incoming transmission rolled in from Taos.

"Blue Beetle to Watchtower. I'm reading a 21st MFD in the Arctic, hissed from my previous scans. Sending Coordinates," Beetle reported.

"There are no zeta tubes in the Arctic. H-how are we going to-" Mr. Carr was interrupted.

"Don't worry, Gang, I've got this," Flash reported, his tracker reporting him in the North Magnetic Pole with Impulse catching up.

"Not without me you don't. Remember?" Impulse laughed. "Let's go in and crash that MFD. Fall in Gramps!" I couldn't help but laugh at the dynamic of those two. Reminds me of how I used to be with Barry when I first started.

"Flash to Watchtower, the magnetic field disruptor, it's already gone Chrysalis. I'm not sure it the egg-"

"The egg is useless now. You're too late," Lex Luthor reported from the United Nations. I looked outside the window of the Watchtower, and it was insane. The Earth was nearly covered in clouds, even the atmosphere being disrupted in places. It was like watching the Northern lights all over the world.

"What now?" Flash called in. The anticipation was killing me.

"Now you run," Luthor instructed the two.

"Hey, I'm no quitter. There's gotta be-" Flash was trying to fight him, but was interrupted.

"I didn't say run away. I said run. Together, you an Impulse should be able to negate the chrysalis by running counter to its energy flow," Luthor explained.

"Is it really that simple?"

"I wouldn't call it simple. You would be attempting to siphon its power with your own speed trails," The Atom explained. "It'll take a massive amount of Kinetic Energy," Atom said and I took that as my cue. I bolted for the zeta tube and got myself as far North as possible before bolting for the chrysalis. "And no matter what, don't slow down until the chrysalis is completely neutralized," I heard Atom in my comm as I saw Impulse and Flash in my sights, dwarfed by the size of the chrysalis. They bolted into action as I caught up.

"I think it just might be working," I heard Impulse yell as I joined the ring.

"It's definitely slowing, but not stopping. Even at our top speed, I'm not certain the two of us can generate enough kinetic energy," Flash said as I ran with them.

"Then how about the three of us?" I laughed, actually managing to keep up with them.

"Kid! How the hell are you keeping up?" Flash asked and I smiled.

"Been working with Caitlin and Cisco. Turns out, I've had the same capabilities as you guys all along. I'll explain later! I'm here to add my fair share of kinetic energy. Besides, I can't let the new kid take all the credit for saving the world," I told them as the three of us ran, slowly increasing in speed.

"Good man!" Barry told me as we ran.

"So crash!" Impulse yelled as I reached into the compartment on my glove and downed a protein bar to make sure I could keep going. It's been a long day and not a lot of eating. After a bit I was starting to think that I wasn't going to be able to keep it up, but the chrysalis began to dissipate. Once the energy field was completely gone, the three of us stopped. When the snow blowing around cleared, the three of us were were trying to catch our breaths now that we've slowed down.

"They did it!" I heard Miss Martian yell as members of the Team ran toward us. Impulse dropped to his knees, Flash was still bent over, hands on his knees, and I was standing tall, my hands on my head. "It's over!"

"Congratulations, you have saved the planet," Aqualad told us as the three of us were finally catching our breaths.

"Nice job, dude," Nightwing told me and I started to freak out.

"Dude, we gotta go!" I told him, grabbing his shoulders before bolting. "Get your butt to the hospital before she wakes up!" I yelled at him as I ran off, cutting through the arctic before I finally hit North America, slicing through Canada before making it to America. It wasn't long before I was in Gotham. As much as I was panicking, I was also in disbelief. After all these years, after all the working with Cisco and Caitlin, none of it compared to the incentive of getting back to Sylvia. I had never run this fast in my entire life. When I got to the hospital, Alfred wasn't in the waiting room, to I was quick to get into a bathroom and put on some civilian clothing before making it to the Nurse's station.

"What room is Sylvia Wayne in?" I asked and the nurse glared at me for a moment.

"Sir, that's a private patient-"

"Are you kidding me? I'm Wally West, I'm the father of the baby that she just delivered and I'm her goddamn boyfriend. What. Room. Is. She. In?" I asked and the woman became flustered, clicking away at the computer.

"Room 543," She told me and I was gone, rushing at a human speed so as not to alert anyone else. When I got out of the elevator on her floor and found her room, she was still asleep in the hospital bed. Her stomach was more flat than before, but still a bit swollen from the whole ordeal. Alfred looked at me and got a look of relief.

"Thank goodness nothing happened to you. I wouldn't have heard the end of it from her," He told me as I sat on the edge of her bed and held her hand. We just waited as the process began to wake her up from the anesthetic. It was just a few hours until she woke up. Her emerald green eyes blinking back at me.

"Where's Lena?" She asked immediately, her voice raspy as she gripped my hand. Alfred spoke up.

"I already talked to the nurse. She's bringing her now," Alfred told her. She relaxed for a moment, but then, a woman came in, wheeling the baby into the room in one of those clear little cradles.

"Oh wow," I whispered as I got up, walking over to the little girl. I scooped up the little baby, who seemed calmer than she should be.

"She is pretty darn healthy for being early, she's seventeen inches long, seven pounds and eleven ounces," the nurse told us and I looked down at my little girl as I walked her to Sylvia. I sat down with her and looked into the little girl's eyes. They were like tiny emeralds, like her mother's. I handed her to Sylvia and she was in aw. The nurse left the room and Sylvia took off the little girls hat, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" I asked, and Sylvia laughed. She looked back down at the baby's head, causing me to look closer. What I saw I didn't expect, and it got me really excited. On top my child head, were little wisps of orange hair.

"She looks so much like you," Sylvia smiled. In that moment, I looked into Sylvia's eyes, stroking back a strand of her hair, putting it behind her ear. I kissed her on the forehead and realized that our live were never going to be the same. At this point, one more change wasn't going to hurt. I was going to marry her, but I couldn't ask now. Meeting our child was enough for today. Besides, I had to talk to her father first.

 _ **The End**_


End file.
